First arrests made for violations of Florida’s new ‘Halo Law’ — What the new rule means

Three women in Florida have have been arrested for allegedly violating the state's new “Halo Law,” which took effect on January 1, 2025 confirmed Jacksonville Sheriff's office (JSO).

The arrests were part of a chain of events that began with an officer confronting 39-year-old Erika McGriff for allegedly leaving her car parked and running in an intersection on Tuesday.

The situation quickly escalated into a brawl after the woman began striking the officer, the police claimed.

She was ultimately arrested and charged with several offences, including battering a police officer, resisting arrest with violence and driving on a suspended license, reported local news channel Action News Jax.

What is the ‘Halo Law’ ?

The ‘Halo Law’ establishes a 25-foot buffer zone around officers and first responders, making it illegal to harass, threaten or impede them while they perform their official duties.

Anyone entering this buffer zone after being warned may face legal consequences such as fines, misdemeanors, or even jail time.

This law was specially enacted in response to rising incidents of first responders being disrupted while addressing an emergency. Bystanders crowding emergency situations, recording on phones, or attempting to intervene have hindered crucial operations while also endangering the lives of first responders.

“If you violently resist our officers, if you punch them, if you bite them you will be arrested,” Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters during a news briefing on Friday.

Who else was arrested for violating the law?

Waters also announced the arrests of two other women, 59-year-old Anita Gibson and 36-year-old and Jasmine Jefferson.

During McGriff’s arrest, a crowd formed, and according to JSO, Gibson and Jefferson also violated the “Halo Law” amid the chaos.

“I don’t mind people standing beyond 25 feet videoing, or saying what you’re going to say, because people are going to do that and you have the right to say what you want to say,” Waters said, adding that the line is drawn when actions create an uncomfortable or potentially dangerous situation for the police officer, who may or may not get hurt by someone in a crowd.

Waters noted that other people who were also within the 25-feet zone of the officer during McGriff’s arrest were not arrested, as they were not acting in a harassing way.

Another person who was filming the incident with their cellphone was also not charged, he noted.