The father of a North Carolina high school wrestler jumped into the middle of his son’s match and slammed the rival grappler to the floor, leading to the dad’s arrest, officials said Tuesday.
The unplanned tag team incident unfolded Saturday when the wrestlers from Southeast Guilford and Hickory Ridge High Schools were competing at A.L. Brown High School in Kannapolis, North Carolina, about 20 miles outside of Charlotte.
The Guilford wrestler picked up and threw his Hickory Ridge opponent to the mat, and the official called it an illegal move.
Both combatants separated and were ready to move on with the match, when Barry Lee Jones, dad of the Hickory Ridge wrestler, allegedly jumped into action and tackled the Guilford athlete.
Let our news meet your inbox. The news and stories that matters, delivered weekday mornings.
Pandemonium ensued as a flurry of adults rushed the mat, with one man tackling and pinning Jones to the floor.
Jones was arrested and charged with simple assault and disorderly conduct, both misdemeanors, Kannapolis police said. Jones was released after posting $1,000 bail.
The 17-year-old student-athlete slammed by Jones was not injured, police said.
A rep for the North Carolina High School Athletic Association praised the official and police but declined further comment.
“The expert on the mat at the time of the incident in question, was the official. He made the illegal move call immediately, with correct signals being given,” NCHSAA Commissioner Que Tucker said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Local police and local school officials are handling the actions of the parent in question. The NCHSAA has nothing to add at this time.”
Southeast Guilford HS wrestling coaches posted a letter they received from parents of the Hickory Ridge wrestlers, apologizing for Saturday’s brouhaha.
“We are in shock, horror and disbelief by the inconceivable action of one parent on a wrestler. We don’t understand it nor would we ever condone it,” according to the Hickory Ridge HS parents.
“Though our parents review the HRHS code of conduct in pre-season mandatory parent meetings, this parent chose to disregard the code and, for that, we are ashamed. His action does not reflect the beliefs of the parents or the HRHS wrestling program. To the parents of the wrestler who was tackled — we wholeheartedly apologize.”
Jones could not be immediately reached for comment on Tuesday.
