Police called to Florida soccer game

A family in Winter Park, Florida, had to deal with a police presence at a youth soccer match this past weekend. The incident began when an organizer for the local i9 Sports league contacted officers to remove the boy and his parents from the public park. The family, now identified as Martasia Griffin and Don Pierre, stated that the league charged them nearly $300 for participation. They argued that their son, Nevada, was being penalized for being too skilled for the age group.

Body camera footage released on Monday shows the interaction between the officers and the family. Nevada, who is three years old, is seen dribbling past other children and scoring multiple goals in video posted by his parents. The clip shows no physical contact between the boy and other players. The parents told the responding officers that the league was effectively kicking Nevada out because he was good at the sport. They noted that other children were not catching the ball when Nevada passed it to them.

The i9 Sports organizer spoke directly to the police about the situation. The organizer described the boy as very advanced compared to the other kids. "The kid is good. He's great. Really good," the organizer told the officers. The organizer claimed that the boy was pushing other players during the game. They explained that the parents became argumentative after Nevada was benched. The organizer requested that the family be removed immediately so they could process a refund.

Griffin, Nevada's mother, explained the family's frustration to the officers. "They're mad at my son because he actually plays soccer," she said. "They're literally kicking him out of this place because he's good at soccer." She added that the initial complaint was that Nevada was not passing, but the video shows other children failing to catch the ball. The organizer wanted the family's names to finalize the refund. Representatives for i9 Sports did not respond to requests for comment regarding the incident.

Officers did not force the family to leave or issue a trespassing citation. They explained to the organizer that they did not have the authority to eject the family from the park. The Winter Park Police Department posted a statement on its website confirming the league offered a refund to the parents. The report noted that the family stated the game was over and that they were leaving. The department emphasized that the family was cooperative and that no one was arrested or forced to exit the park.

The interaction ended with the family departing the field. One officer commented to another at the close of the shift. "I kind of want to see him play," the officer said. "I bet he's good."