A 27-year-old man was arrested on a felony child abuse charge after police say he pushed a 10-year-old boy off a bicycle in Largo, causing a head injury.
The incident occurred at approximately 5:45 p.m. on Thursday, October 15, 2026, at 10500 Ulmerton Road.
According to a Largo Police Department arrest affidavit, numerous witnesses saw Jeffrey Thomas-Benjamin Swett push the boy with both hands, causing him to fall from his bicycle. The boy suffered a small laceration to the back of his head and was transported to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital for further evaluation.
A person at the scene told police that Swett and the boy had been involved in a brief verbal altercation because Swett believed the child was looking at him in a disrespectful manner, according to the affidavit.
Swett fled following the incident but was apprehended a short distance south of the location, police said.
After being advised of his Miranda rights, Swett admitted to pushing the bicycle’s front tire with his left foot but denied pushing the boy himself, according to the affidavit. He also told police he was concerned the child was looking at his belongings.
Swett, whose address was listed as transient in Largo, was arrested October 15 on a charge of child abuse without great bodily harm, permanent disability or permanent disfigurement.
