Winter Park Police Call 911 Over 3-Year-Old Soccer Player

One three-year-old soccer player sparked a police response in Winter Park, Florida, after his mother demanded a refund during a game. Officers arrived at an i9 Sports Experience match on Saturday to settle a dispute involving Nevada Pierre and his mother, Martasia Griffin. The incident prompted the release of body camera footage and 911 audio on Monday.

The conflict began when the league's athletic director decided to swap out Pierre to allow other children to play. The i9 Sports Experience website states its ethos includes a focus on fun and equal playing time regardless of talent. The director told police he called 911 because Griffin began livestreaming their interaction on social media. He described her as disruptive and asked for officers to help remove her from the park.

Griffin said she was standing up for her son after learning he was being benched. She noted that Pierre trains for three hours a day with his father and is advanced for his age. His parents play in a league with five-year-olds. Griffin said other parents told their children to push her son on the field. She also reported that people yelled at Pierre to pass the ball. When he saw the police, he was scared as if he had done something wrong.

The athletic director explained that Pierre scored many goals and pushed the other kids. He said he tried to tell the boy to stop pushing. The director claimed the parents told him he was ignorant. In the 911 audio, the director described Griffin as an unruly parent who was calling him names in front of the crowd. He asked dispatchers to send someone quickly to have her leave.

Officers reviewed the situation and told the director the matter was civil, not criminal. They explained they could not force the family out of the public park. However, they noted the family could be told they could no longer participate in the program. Griffin asked for a refund during the interaction. The director agreed to fully refund what the family paid.

The officers spoke with Pierre's parents and told them the league would contact them about the refund in one to two weeks. The video shows the family leaving the field on their own. Griffin said the league offered Pierre a chance to join another program for free. The family declined because that location was three hours away.

In a statement, the i9 sports program said it is aware of concerns regarding the incident. The statement noted that the respectful treatment and well-being of every child and family matter deeply to them. The league said it has reached out to the family and begun a review. It stated it would not speculate or share unverified information while working to understand the circumstances. The athletic director did not respond to requests for comment.