A father arrested at Caroline High School last week said he was not resisting arrest, but was helping his mother who lost consciousness during a struggle with police, he said.
The 45-year-old father from Woodford, who is not being  named to protect his daughter’s identity, said the entire incident is being blown out of proportion.
The father said he was called Thursday morning to pick up his 16-year-old daughter after she was suspended for arguing with another girl at school.
When he and his mother arrived at the school, he said deputies were already there.
He said he did have a disagreement with the administrators about a separate incident that involved his son being assaulted at the school. He said no action had been taken.
He also said he thought his daughter was being unfairly targeted because he spoke out against the high school administration.
“They may not like me, but those are my kids,” he said. “If they are wrong, then they are wrong, but if they are right, I got to stand by them.”
The father said everything was fine and they were leaving until his daughter realized she left her purse in the building.
He said his mother and daughter went back to get it while he stayed behind talking to one of the officers.
Then he said he saw his 69-year-old mother thrown to the ground by a sheriff’s deputy. His mother said she didn’t know what was going on.
“He grabbed my arm,  threw me down and put his knee in my back,” the grandmother said. “After that I blacked out and don’t remember anything else.”
Assistant Superintendent Eric Cunningham said an ambulance was called for the grandmother who he confirmed had lost consciousness and was having trouble breathing.
The father said he was trying to help his mother, who he said has arthritis in her shoulder. He said he wasn’t fighting the officer.
“What would you do, just stand there and watch that happen?” the father asked. “No, you would help your mother like any good son would do.”
The Caroline Sheriff’s Office has a video copy of the incident, which was recorded on surveillance tape.
Sheriff Tony Lippa said the 16-year-old student, whose name  is not being released because  she  is a juvenile, is charged  with two counts of assaulting a law enforcement officer, trespassing, obstruction  of justice, resisting arrest,  making threats to a school  employee and assaulting a  school employee. She is being detained at Merrimac Juvenile Detention Center in Williamsburg  pending trial. 
The father is charged  with trespassing, resisting  arrest and assaulting a law  enforcement officer.
The grandmother is  charged with assaulting a law  enforcement officer, obstruction and trespassing. 
The father and grandmother were both released on bond and will appear in Caroline General District Court on Friday.