A Clearwater mother is accused of turning a planned fight between her son and another juvenile into a stabbing, after police say she pulled a knife from her bra and attacked the other boy. The victim suffered serious injuries and was hospitalized. The mother now faces an aggravated child abuse charge.
According to an arrest affidavit described by WFLA, 37-year-old Rashida Briscoe took her juvenile son to a Clearwater location Saturday intending for him to fight another boy. During the confrontation, Briscoe allegedly pulled a knife from her bra and stabbed the juvenile in the back multiple times. The affidavit says she then took him to the ground, sat on him briefly and left the scene.
The victim was taken to a hospital with serious injuries and treated for two stab wounds to his back, Local 12 reported. Clearwater police said Briscoe admitted stabbing the boy in defense of her son, but also said she did not view the juvenile as a deadly threat to herself or her child. Briscoe later turned herself in, was booked into the Pinellas County Jail and is now out on bond.
What The Florida Charge Means
Briscoe was charged with aggravated child abuse, which is an allegation and not a conviction. Under Florida’s child-abuse statute, aggravated child abuse can include aggravated battery against a child or abuse that causes great bodily harm, permanent disability or permanent disfigurement. The statute classifies aggravated child abuse as a first-degree felony, while the case proceeds through the courts.
