Woman arrested for punching, biting Jacksonville officer outside of IDEA charter school

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Jacksonville, FL - In a press conference Friday afternoon, Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters announced the arrest of a woman accused of punching and biting an officer outside of an IDEA charter school on Tuesday.

Erika McGriff, 39, has been arrested on charges of battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting an officer with violence and operating a motor vehicle while having a revoked driver's license, all third-degree felonies and each punishable by up to five years in prison.

Additionally, McGriff has received multiple traffic citations, Waters said.

McGriff's arrest stems from a Tuesday, Oct. 7 incident outside the IDEA charter school, located at 1845 Bassett Rd.

McGriff, a parent of an IDEA student who Waters called a "habitual traffic offender with revoked Florida driving privileges," illegally parked her running car at an intersection near the school and left it unattended, Waters said.

Waters explained that Officer Holton attempted to talk to McGriff about her car, but said McGriff "escalated the verbal conversation to physical violence."

In bodycam footage shown during the press conference, Holton is seen slamming McGriff on the ground and grabbing her hair after a fist fight between the two in front of a large crowd.

"She violently resisted Officer Holton and, eventually, punched him repeatedly and bit him with such force that it left a bite impression on his forearm," Waters said. "It's shocking to me that you square up to fight a police officer just maybe when you're gonna get a citation."

Two others who had been spectating the incident, Anita Gibson and Jasmine Jefferson, were arrested for violating Florida's Halo Law, according to the agency.

"This law creates a 25-foot buffer around first responders, prohibiting individuals from approaching within this area or harassing a first responder while conducting their official duty after a verbal warning," Waters said.

Waters said this incident marked the first time JSO arrested someone for violating the state's Halo Law.