Shocking video taken at a Florida skate park shows a hesitant youngster getting booted down a skateboard ramp by his own father.
The video, captured by another skater on Friday, starts as a conversation between Marcus Crossland and his 6-year-old son atop the biggest ramp at Kona Skate Park in Jacksonville, Fla.
Crossland quickly becomes frustrated with his son, and kicks his skateboard out from under him. Dino the Dinosaur, as he’s known by other skaters, flies down the ramp screaming as Crossland turns around to walk away.
Ryan Stephens, 13, uploaded the video to his Instagram account and said, “Can’t believe this dad pushed this little kid down big brown because he didn’t drop in #peoplethesedays.”
Stephens said he approached Crossland after the incident to figure out why he pushed his son.
“He said, ‘Because he needs to learn,’” Stephens told First Coast News. “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?’”
Stephens said yes.
While the boy was unscathed, Florida’s Department of Children and Families is investigating the incident.
Crossland frequents the skate park with his son, but he won’t be coming back anytime soon. Martin Ramos, Kona’s operator, asked Crossland to take a break from the park for a while.
“I encouraged him to put the fun back in it and get out of all the events and all this delusions of grandeur that have him kind of motivated,” Ramos told First Coast News.