A 27-year-old Largo man is facing a felony child abuse charge after witnesses told police he shoved a 10-year-old boy off his bicycle, leaving the child with a bleeding head wound. Jeffrey Thomas-Benjamin Swett was arrested Thursday evening near 10500 Ulmerton Road after officers say he fled the scene before being caught a short distance away.
The incident happened around 5:45 p.m. on Oct. 15 at the Ulmerton Road location, according to iontb.com. Largo police say a child was pushed from a bicycle and injured, and numerous witnesses told investigators they saw Swett push the boy with both hands, causing him to fall. The boy suffered a small laceration to the back of his head and was taken to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital for further evaluation, per the same account.
Witness Says Confrontation Preceded the Push
A witness told officers that Swett and the child had a brief verbal altercation before the push occurred, according to the arrest affidavit cited by WTSP. Officers reported that Swett fled the scene afterward but was apprehended nearby, the outlet notes.
Swett gave investigators a different version of events. According to the arrest report, he told police he pushed the bicycle’s front tire with his left foot but denied pushing the boy himself.
Felony Charge Under Florida Child Abuse Law
Swett was arrested on a charge of child abuse without great bodily harm, permanent disability, or permanent disfigurement. Under Florida Statute §827.03, knowingly or willfully abusing a child without causing great bodily harm, permanent disability, or permanent disfigurement is classified as a third-degree felony. The statute’s definition of abuse includes the intentional infliction of physical or mental injury upon a child.
No further details on the child’s condition following his hospital evaluation, the case’s court status, or Swett’s booking and bond information have been made available.
