Run-ins are an essential part of wrestling. It makes everything so much more exciting.
We meant pro-wrestling, however. It’s another thing when it’s a legit, unscripted high school tournament, and the uninvited third party is a grown-ass man. Footage shows an adult tackling one of the athletes at a high school wrestling tournament in Kannapolis, North Carolina.
Police say that man was Barry Lee Jones, according to Fox 8. Officers said his son, a student from Hickory Ridge High School, was participating in a match against a teen from Southeast Guilford High School. Well, dad is accused of running up and tackling the opponent during the match.
The alleged victim was said to be uninjured, however. Nonetheless, everything broke down to a huge mess on Saturday, as seen on video below.
“This is crazy,” an unidentified woman said. She added sarcastically, “What awesome parenting there.” A man, who appears to be the suspect, was taken down to the ground.
“It’s very unfortunate, and it just shows as a society that I feel sometimes we’re just losing all decorum,” Guilford County Schools Superintendent Sharon Contreras told the camera in an on-camera interview. “I want to say though that the parents from that high school wrote us a lovely letter saying they were equally appalled. It’s not who they are as a community. And I certainly apologize to the students at both high schools who experienced that–particularly the student who was attacked.”
Jones is charged with simple battery and disorderly conduct. He was sent to Cabarrus County Jail on a $1,000 bond. It’s unclear if he has an attorney in this matter.
[Screengrab via Fox 8]