A Burke County football coach has been suspended with pay after he was arrested on suspicion of assaulting his 16-year-old son at a school basketball game, Eyewitness News learned Monday.

Freedom High School head football coach Mike Helms is suspended while the school district investigates.

Police said the assault was caught on tape.

The Burke County school district said it is trying to get a copy of the video of the alleged assault at an away game in Rutherford County.

Police said the coach was there as a spectator. They said a teacher and a student told them about the assault.

The school resource officer in Rutherford County said Helms punched his son in the face, knocking his head into a wall.

The officer said Helms admitted to striking his son but told the officer he was disciplining the teenager.

News of the investigation spread quickly through the school.

"I would say he needs to be on a probation status. I mean, I don't think he should get fired, because that is his son and he was trying to correct his son," said mother Mary Bugg.

"That's pretty harsh. I wouldn't want my kid probably playing for him," said father Lamont Martin.

Eyewitness News tried to reach Helms at his home in Catawba County but have not heard back from him yet.