An Alliance police sergeant who remains on administrative leave following an off-duty OVI-related arrest earlier this summer has now been arrested on a felony child endangerment charge after authorities say he struck a 4-year-old boy at White House Fruit Farm.
According to the Goshen Police District, Sgt. Ethan Griffith, 27, was arrested Tuesday after a charge of endangering children, a second-degree felony under Ohio Revised Code 2919.22(B)(1), was authorized following an investigation into an alleged incident that occurred July 26.
Goshen Police confirmed to Jordan Miller News that Griffith has been arrested in connection with the case.
Police said the child’s father reported that while the boy was visiting his mother, Sacelia Ser, and her fiancé, Griffith, at White House Fruit Farm, the child was “acting up.”
Investigators allege Griffith grabbed the 4-year-old by one arm and dragged him into the parking lot.
According to police, the child struck Griffith near his left eye. Authorities allege Griffith then struck the child twice in the face, causing swelling, bruising and welting. Officers said the injuries remained visible more than 24 hours later, and the child was later examined by medical personnel who determined the injuries were consistent with being struck.
The case was presented to the Mahoning County Court #3 prosecutor, who authorized the felony charge.
Griffith is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Father describes alleged incident
Following the incident, the child’s father publicly shared his account in a Facebook post, saying Griffith personally called him before the child was returned.
According to the father, Griffith told him, “Karter was misbehaving at White House Fruit Farm and he kicked me in the face so I smacked him in the face.”
The father wrote that he remained calm during the phone call because he was preparing to pick up his son later that evening.
After seeing the child’s injuries, however, he said his emotions changed.
“Once I saw the mark, rage filled me in a way I’ve never felt before,” the father wrote.
He also wrote that seeing injuries on his 4-year-old son’s face “doesn’t sit well with me at all.”
The father included photographs in the post that appeared to show bruising and red marks on the child’s face, saying one set of images was taken approximately four hours after the incident and another the following morning.
Already on administrative leave
The new allegation comes less than two months after Griffith was arrested following an off-duty crash in Mahoning County.
As previously reported by Jordan Miller News, Griffith, who has been with the Alliance Police Department since 2022 and is the son of former Alliance Police Chief Scott Griffith, was arrested June 7 after Austintown police alleged he crashed his pickup truck into a utility pole before fleeing on foot.
He was charged with operating a vehicle while impaired, obstruction of official business, failure to control a vehicle and having weapons while intoxicated. Investigators reported finding a loaded Glock 19 handgun and an unloaded Springfield Hellcat 9mm pistol inside the vehicle.
Alliance city officials later confirmed Griffith was off duty at the time of that incident and placed him on administrative leave pending the criminal case.
Alliance Police Chief Aken-ra X confirmed to Jordan Miller News on Tuesday that Griffith remains on administrative leave. Chief X said city officials will now be discussing additional disciplinary action in light of the new felony child endangerment charge.
The criminal case filed by the Goshen Police District is separate from any administrative or employment action the Alliance Police Department may take.
