A woman was arrested for allegedly holding a 6-year-old boy underwater at a Florida hotel. The woman was identified as former Fort Myers officer 36-year-old Tiffany Griffith. The incident occurred at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee, where Osceola County deputies were called about a disturbance on Friday.
Authorities said they were alerted about a verbal altercation and a possible drowning involving a child in the pool area. According to the sheriff’s office arrest affidavit, witnesses told deputies that Griffith approached a group of children who were playing at the pool.
She reportedly started splashing the children, including a 6-year-old boy, with water and got physical with the boy. She is accused of grabbing the boy by the shoulders and shoving him underwater, where she held him for a few seconds. Surveillance footage later reviewed by investigators reportedly showed the child being submerged for between two and four seconds. When she released the boy, she reportedly splashed him again before he stormed off.
The child was reportedly furious when he left the swimming area. He also suffered a nosebleed from the incident, according to a release from the sheriff’s office. Deputies also said Griffith was in an altercation with the child’s mother, during which she was yelling. After the verbal dispute, she left the pool area.
Griffith was initially charged with aggravated child abuse, but that charge was later reduced to child abuse during a court appearance on Tuesday. She was later released from Osceola County Jail on a $20,000 bond with conditions that prohibit her from going back to the resort, contacting the victim or his family, and drinking alcohol.
When she was leaving the facility later that day, Griffith covered her face and held hands with her husband. When asked by FOX 35’s Manny Martinez what she was thinking during the alleged incident, she did not comment.
According to deputies, she told investigators during questioning that she believed she was acting to protect her own child. Griffith said her 7-year-old son, who is nonverbal and autistic, had been pushed underwater by the other child. According to Griffith, when she entered the pool, her intentions were to remove her son and confront the other child’s parents.
Her husband later testified in court, saying their son had been held underwater multiple times and came up crying. He said Griffith entered the pool to separate the children after the situation escalated. A report also indicated that hotel security believed alcohol may have played a role in Griffith’s actions.