A scene of turmoil erupted outside a Jacksonville charter school on a Tuesday afternoon, marking the inaugural enforcement of Florida’s perplexingly named “Halo Law”—a legislative initiative designed to criminalize interference with law enforcement officers within a 25-foot radius of their operational duties.
According to reports from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, 39-year-old Erika McGriff, a repeat traffic offender whose driving privileges had long been revoked, ignited this chaotic episode by leaving her car running in the middle of an intersection near the IDEA Charter School on Bassett Road.
Officer Randy Holton, assigned to the school through the Safe Schools program, approached McGriff only for her to insist, rather theatrically, that the vehicle was not hers and begin to saunter away.
Holton, maintaining a veneer of calm mixed with firmness, offered her a pivotal opportunity: “Listen, you can get a ticket or you can keep playing these games and go to jail. I’m going to give you one chance. You created the drama.” How generous of him.
The situation escalated when Holton attempted to detain McGriff; she pulled away, shouting for him not to touch her in front of her daughter. The ensuing struggle quickly devolved into a wrestling match, with witnesses capturing the unfolding drama on their phones.
Videos reveal a flurry of activity as McGriff screams, curses, and does her best impression of a resisting suspect. Holton, despite his efforts to subdue her, found himself in a tussle that left him with a visible bite mark on his arm, as confirmed by Sheriff Waters—much to everyone’s chagrin.
As the chaotic scene played out, McGriff accused Holton of injuring her arm, leading him to force her to the ground on a wet street. In the ensuing melee, McGriff surprisingly regained her footing, only to swing at Holton, who retorted with his own strike, as if auditioning for an action film.
The crowd, meanwhile, added to the chaos. “She violently resisted Officer Holton,” Waters later stated, “and eventually punched him repeatedly and bit him with such force that she left a bite impression on his forearm.” A true testament to the absurdity of the situation.
As a result of this circus, McGriff now faces three third-degree felony charges:
- Battery on a law enforcement officer
- Resisting an officer with violence
- Operating a vehicle with a revoked license
Each charge could potentially lead to a five-year stint in Florida State Prison—because that’s exactly where one expects to land after a carpooling mishap.
WATCH:
BREAKING – A widely circulated video from Jacksonville vividly illustrates Erika McGriff resisting arrest and assaulting an officer by punching and biting him during a school pickup, as bystanders raise accusations against the officer. pic.twitter.com/lZCd90jaAK
— Right Angle News Network (@Rightanglenews) October 12, 2025
As bystanders began to encroach and holler, the officer was forced to warn them under the Halo Law, which went into effect earlier this year.
This law stipulates a mandatory 25-foot buffer zone for first responders, making it illegal for individuals to approach or harass them once warned verbally.
Crossing this boundary with an intent to interfere could lead to charges of a second-degree misdemeanor. How comforting.
In a remarkable twist of fate, Sheriff Waters confirmed that at least two onlookers were detained, marking the first-ever arrests under the Halo Law in Jacksonville.
According to the press release:
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office took into custody 59-year-old Anita Gibson and 36-year-old Jasmine Jefferson for infringing Florida’s Halo Law (Statute 343.31) earlier this week.
Their arrests were related to the fracas occurring outside the charter school on Bassett Road, coinciding with McGriff’s reckless parking and subsequent scuffle with Officer Holton.
JSO Officer Holton had simply sought to engage with McGriff; instead, she escalated a rather routine affair into a chaotic confrontation. Gibson and Jefferson found themselves in violation of the law by not affording Holton the requisite 25-foot buffer needed for safety.
You can catch the bodycam footage HERE or by reviewing the embedded clip below:
