PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — A Facebook post showing a woman calling St. Johns deputies out to a youth soccer game last Saturday in Davis Park is going viral.
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The post accuses the woman pictured on a golf cart of racially profiling a father after he yelled out to his son during the game, by calling St. Johns deputies out to the scene.
The woman in the post is the ‘field marshal’ for the Ponte Vedra Palm Valley Athletic Association. The person who made the post, and the man pictured in the post, Gerald Jones, believes the field marshal chose to call deputies because Jones is African-American.
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“She’s like, ‘Well you can just leave,’’’ Jones said recounting the words he said the field marshal told him. “‘...I’m just going to call the police!’ I’m like ‘Okay! Do whatever you’re going to do!’”
Jones tells us he gathered his belongings, and began to exit the park, but returned to inform another parent he would need his son and another child to be given a ride, as he had just been told to leave.
Friends of the field marshal tell Action News Jax she is receiving death threats now that the post is viral. St. Johns deputies tells us they are aware of the rhetoric.
The Association tells Action News Jax the woman called deputies to restore order after three parents violated the code of conduct for allegedly yelling at referees, cursing, and sideline coaching, in the span of about 20 minutes. They tell Action News Jax she chose to call deputies when to her, the scene seemed to turn chaotic.
“The field marshal acted appropriately and without malice to ensure the welfare of the children she is charged with protecting,” Association president Gary Easom said.
The association also alleges Jones replied ‘shut up,’ and ‘get out of here,’ when approached by the field marshal after yelling out to his son. Jones denied the claim.
“If I tell that lady to, ‘shut up,’ I should be put out of the park,” said Jones. “Because she’s an authority.”
Action News Jax knocked on the listed address for the woman but no one came to the door.
We obtained the 911 calls, in which you can hear the woman tell dispatch parents are arguing, and people are taking pictures of her.
“I’m afraid there’s going to be issues,” said the field marshal to dispatch. “OH, now the Dad’s [Jones] coming back. I need somebody here now.”
Jones tells Action News Jax reporter Ryan Nelson he’s praying for the woman’s safety after learning of the threats.
“Nobody should have things like that,” he said. “Period.”
Below is a transcript of the 911 call:
Woman: I need a sheriff’s department person – 210 Davis Park Road immediately.
Dispatcher: OK.
Woman: I’ve got issues with parents on the soccer field.
Dispatcher: 210 Davis Park Road?
Woman: Yes.
Dispatcher: And What’s going on?
Woman: I have parent’s that are out of control and need to be removed from a youth soccer game.
Dispatcher: And it’s two parent’s?
Woman: Yup.
Dispatcher: Male and female?
Woman: Um the male is leaving, the female refuses to go, so I need the sheriff’s department to come and escort her out.
Dispatcher: Are there any weapons?
Woman: What?
Dispatcher: Are there any weapons?
Woman: No.
Dispatcher: OK. Has there been any drinking or umm... drugs that you think to have been involved?
Woman: I couldn’t tell.
Dispatcher: OK. And where are they?
Woman: Um, we’re at the soccer complex. I need somebody here immediately.
Dispatcher: This is-
Dispatcher: They are going to be dispatching –
Woman: This could get bad real fast.
Dispatcher: OK. I completely understand. As I’m talking to you they’re going to be dispatching this.
Woman: Alright.
Dispatcher: OK. And where did you say the male went?
Woman: He’s walking towards his car now.
Dispatcher: What kind of vehicle does he have?
Woman: That I can’t tell because I’m standing at the soccer field because of the parent that won’t leave because I’m afraid there’s going to be issues. OH – now, now the dads coming back. I need somebody here now.
Dispatcher: I have two deputies heading out there ma’am.
Woman: Thank you.
Dispatcher: No problem. How did this start?
Woman: Soccer game! Youth Soccer game. Rec soccer game – not World Cup.
Dispatcher: OK and your name?
Woman: redacted
Dispatcher: You said – redacted- ? and last name?
Woman: redacted
Dispatcher: OK and a contact phone number for you?
Woman: redacted
Dispatcher: And you said you’re at the soccer complex correct?
Woman: Yeah.
Dispatcher: OK. Is there more than one soccer complex?
Woman: There’s only one. Come all the way back into the park.
Dispatcher: Where are you at in the soccer complex?
Woman: I’m at the far back field. So they need to pull into the dirt parking lot and come all the way down and then they’ll see the youth soccer team so pull through –
Dispatcher: Is there a parking lot?
Woman: - at Davis Park and come to the very end of the parking lot there’s another opening that leads into the dirt parking lots. That’s where they need to go.
Dispatcher: OK. Is this – has this been verbal or has it all been physical?
Woman: So far just verbal.
3:00 - Dispatcher: OK. And who are they getting verbal with?
Woman: Me.
Dispatcher: OK. Are they sitting in front of you or by you?
Woman: Well one walked away, one is still standing next to me.
Dispatcher: OK.
Woman: Now she’s yelling at me – Oh now she just cussed at me. And this is happening in front of kids…and children. Small children as well as the kids on the field.
Dispatcher: OK ummm –
Woman: In fact she has two small children now next to her that she’s cursing in front of.
Dispatcher: Is that her in the background?
Woman: Yeah.
Dispatcher: OK. She next to you by any chance?
Woman: She’s a little ways away. I really – do not want to go next to her.
Dispatcher: No, no, no. That’s why I wanted to make sure –
Woman: Excuse me? Please excuse me. I just had people come and taking pictures of me.
Dispatcher: OK. Who are the people taking pictures?
Woman: I have no idea. This mom just walked up and took a picture of me.
Dispatcher: Another mother or that mother?
Woman: Another mother.
Dispatcher: OK-
Woman: I need the sheriff’s department now.
Dispatcher: Ma’am this isn’t fully done, the dispatching. We do have three deputies coming to you. I’m staying on the phone with you for your safety. I do show that there is a deputy on scene. Do you see the deputy?
Woman: No I don’t.
Dispatcher: Once you see the deputy let me know OK.
Woman: Alright.
Dispatcher: OK I do show that he is on – that he is at the park –
Woman: I see him now.
Dispatcher: You see him now?
Woman: OK I’ll let you go.
Dispatcher: OK
Woman: Alright.
Dispatcher: Bye bye.
Woman: Bye.