Nationwide — Erika McGriff, a 39-year-old African American mother from Jacksonville, Florida, was violently taken down by a white police officer outside her daughter’s school after parking her car in a no-stopping zone. The incident, caught on video, shows the officer putting her in a chokehold and dragging her by the hair in front of children.

According to The Mirror, McGriff was reportedly picking up her child at IDEA Bassett Charter School on Tuesday when she left her car parked and running at an intersection. Moments later, a confrontation with the officer escalated into a physical struggle.

The viral footage shows McGriff crying out, “You’re hurting my arm,” as the officer twisted her arm behind her back. When she tried to pull away, he slammed her to the ground. Witnesses say he then grabbed her hair, put her in a chokehold, and pinned her down as kids screamed nearby.

The officer later arrested McGriff and charged her with battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest with violence, and driving with a suspended license. Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters defended the officer’s actions, saying, “If you violently resist our officers, if you punch them, if you bite them, you will be arrested.”

The arrest took place during the rollout of Florida’s new “Halo Law,” which requires people to stay at least 25 feet away from police officers during active duty. While McGriff’s case was unrelated to that law, two bystanders, Anita Gibson, 59, and Jasmine Jefferson, 36, were arrested under it for allegedly cursing at the officer and refusing to back away.

Sheriff Waters said other onlookers who stayed quiet or recorded from a distance were not charged. He added that officers must feel “safe” while performing their duties, saying, “It’s dangerous, anything can happen.”

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis previously defended the “Halo Law,” claiming it protects officers from distractions and media scrutiny. Critics, however, have said the law limits public accountability.