Caught on Camera: Dad Kicks Son, 6, Off Halfpipe at Jacksonville Skate Park

Cell phone video of a dad kicking his 6-year-old son off a halfpipe at a Florida skate park has provoked public outrage, and now child protection officials say they are investigating.

The incident at Kona Skate Park in Jacksonville sparked an outcry among witnesses, too, even before the video was first posted to Instagram on Friday.

Martin Ramos, the owner of the park, said that the child is a prodigy skateboarder and that he and his dad often skate together there. Ramos said the child seemed to be okay after the incident and that he told the father not to return to the skate park anytime soon.

"He said he was just caught up in the moment. He seemed very remorseful," Ramos said. "He certainly understands the gravity of the situation, and it seems like he's going to be answering to this thing for quite some time to come."

The Department of Children and Families is investigating, a spokesman told First Coast News, saying the agency doesn't consider the behavior caught on video appropriate.

The viral video was first posted to Instagram by Ryan Stephens, 13, who said his friend shot it when the pair was at the skate park together.

The teen said he confronted the man after he saw the video to ask him why he had pushed the child.

"He said, 'Because he needs to learn.' I was like, 'Pushing him down is not teaching him how to drop in.' And then he said, 'Do you think you can raise him better than me?' and I said 'Yes,'" he said.

Contact Us