Police Respond to Dispute Involving 3-Year-Old at Florida Youth Soccer Game
Winter Park police said a call about a 3-year-old's parents led to officers being dispatched to a youth soccer match, but determined the matter was civil and no arrests were made.
Winter Park Police responded to a report from a youth soccer league official who said a dispute involving a 3-year-old player’s parents had escalated during a Saturday game in a local park. The police statement said officers found the incident to be a civil matter between the parties, with no criminal conduct, and that no one was arrested, trespassed, or forced to leave the park.
According to the police report, the league’s director said the child was removed because of "behavior" and described the parents as "unruly," while the child's parents claim the boy was singled out for playing well. The league offered to refund the family’s fees and asked the family to leave, which they did voluntarily.
Video of the child scoring multiple goals went viral online, prompting commentary from public figures. Children’s entertainer Ms. Rachel described the incident as "sick" and invited the boy onto her show. Civil-rights attorney Ben Crump and former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III also expressed criticism of the police involvement.
i9 Sports, the organization that runs the program, said it is reviewing the incident and has reached out to the family. In a 911 call obtained by NBC News, a league official referred to the child's mother as "unruly" and said she was "disruptive" and "calling me names" in front of other participants. The child's mother, Martasia Griffin, told ABC News she was simply advocating for her son and felt embarrassed after police were called.