INSIDE EDITION talks to a father who was arrested after police say he encouraged his teenage son to physically fight another teen to settle a dispute.
Two teenagers were videotaped engaging in a brutal fight outside Tampa, Florida, while an adult actually yells encouragement to one of them.
Believe it or not, the grown up was actually the father of one of the teens. He's now charged with child abuse and contributing to the delinquency of a minor after the video was posted on the website worldstarhiphop.com.
"Poke his eyes out. Smash his head on the ground," yelled the father on the video.
Now in an exclusive interview with INSIDE EDITION, the father, Scott Struthers, is telling his side of the story. Struthers claims his 16-year-old son had a long-running dispute with the other youth about a girl.
"I did get caught up in the heat of the moment," said Struthers. "My son said he wanted to resolve the issue one on one. I was there to protect him. I don't regret him standing up for himself. I regret saying 'smash his head,' or 'poke his eyes.' "
Kimberly Struthers says her husband's behavior was not typical.
"He just wasn't thinking at the time. He was just thinking really about his son and his safety," said Kimberly.
The case is similar to another Florida incident when a mother was busted after encouraging her daughter to fight.
In the latest case, Struthers, a building contractor, has been ordered to have no contact with anyone under 18 years old, including his own son.
