The internet exploded with fury after the parents of 3-year-old soccer superstar Nevada Pierre claimed on Instagram that someone called the police on their son during a youth league match because he was too talented.
“Nevada was escorted out … for being the best 3 year old in the world today,” read the video caption, which included a police officer emoji, raised hands and reference to a Bible chapter. The video shows Nevada skillfully dribbling the ball and scoring, before cutting to the preschool prodigy looking at the cops with confusion.
Now, body camera recordings have shed light on what took place during the viral incident at Martin Luther King Jr. Park in Winter Park, Fla., on Saturday.
According to a statement from the Winter Park Police Department, officers were contacted by a soccer league official requesting a response to a disturbance between the parents of a player and league staff.
In the body camera recordings released Monday, the league official tells the officers that Nevada’s parents are “creating a big scene, arguing with the other parents” and says “I just want them out immediately.”
The league official also says the little boy is playing much better than the other players and pushing them, which concerned him.
Videos shared by Nevada’s parents on Instagram show the precocious dynamo masterfully weaving between taller players and delivering powerful kicks driving the ball into the goal.
When the officers approach Nevada’s mother, Martasia Griffin, she says she is upset because she saw parents huddled together talking about her son. She says she doesn’t believe he should be penalized for being good.
“I’m a little baffled because I signed my kid up for soccer,” she tells the officers, “so they are literally kicking him out of this place because he’s good at soccer.”
As she and her husband talk to the police, 3-year-old Nevada can be seen standing wide-eyed in the background.
“At just 3 years old, Nevada could not understand why he was being taken away from a game he loved,” Griffin wrote in a GoFundMe statement Monday. “What should have been a happy childhood moment became heartbreaking and distressing for him and deeply painful for our family to witness.”
In the body camera footage, Griffin says she is concerned the league will not provide her family a refund. The officers reply that they have no control over that and relay the league’s request that the parents leave the park, which they do.
“The incident was a civil matter between those parties and not criminal,” the department said in a statement. “No one was arrested, trespassed, or forced to leave the park.”
On social media, Nevada’s family continued to voice their frustrations, posting clips from the game and writing “where is the pushing?” They also wrote that Nevada was taken out of a 30-minute game three times, but nonetheless managed to score 10 goals in approximately 10 to 15 minutes of playing time.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who has represented the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Trayvon Martin, weighed in Monday on social media, saying,“If this child was punished for excelling, what message does that send to every young athlete?”
Some on social media speculated that there was racial motivation behind the incident, as Nevada is Black and several kids he was playing against were white. The body camera recordings show that the league official who spoke with police is also Black.
Early childhood educator and child welfare activist Ms Rachel highlighted the encounter on her Instagram, calling what took place “racist, sick, traumatizing and disgusting” and inviting Nevada to come on her show and showcase his skills.
Reels of his astonishing skills routinely receive millions of views, and his fame has only risen in the wake of the viral police encounter.
On Monday, Nevada’s mother started a fundraiser to cover registration fees, training, equipment, uniforms and travel expenses for him to continue developing his talent in a “more supportive setting.” Within 24 hours, the GoFundMe had raised $35,000.
“This fundraiser is about more than one painful experience,” Griffin wrote. “It is about protecting Nevada’s passion for soccer and making sure this moment does not define his journey.”
The family also shared a screenshot on Instagram revealing the sports league had issued them a refund. The company, i9 Sports, did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment. A spokesperson told the Orlando Sentinel that the organization reached out to Nevada’s family and was reviewing the incident.
“We are aware of concerns being shared regarding an incident at a local i9 Sports program, and we take them very seriously,” the spokesperson said. “The respectful treatment and well-being of every child and family matter deeply to us.”
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