Warzone: Unarmed Sup. wrestles gun from a former NYPD inside Orangtown Middle School; SWAT swoops in later

Armed father and former cop, who was apparently angry that his son contracted the swine flu, walked right past the school's useless 'security'; SWAT showed up long after the fact

Daily News -- June 9, 2009

A school administrator wrestled a gun-toting former NYPD cop to the ground Tuesday after the crazed dad barged into a Rockland County school, furious his son got the swine flu, cops said. Schools Superintendent Ken Mitchell grabbed the weapon away from Peter Cocker after taking him down in his office in South Orangetown Middle School in Blauvelt.

Cocker was enraged that his son had apparently contracted the swine flu, police and neighbors said.

The 37-year-old former Bronx policeman never made it past Mitchell's office.

"It was an incredible bit of bravery and heroism," said Orangetown Supervisor Thom Kleiner. He described Mitchell, a former hockey player, as a "slight guy, very unassuming."

Mitchell's proud family said he did exactly what they expected.

"I'm not surprised that he was able to do this," said Mitchell's brother-in-law Tom Burns, 43. "He's just always someone who, no matter what the circumstances, is going to get the job done."

Gun drawn, Cocker strolled into the school past a security guard's station about 11:30 a.m. The unarmed security agent called cops and in minutes, a SWAT team and several police units converged outside.

When the officer got to Mitchell's office, they found the door had been barricaded and heard the sounds of a "violent struggle," police said.

The officers blasted through the door with a shotgun.

By that point, Mitchell, 55, had already gained the upper hand.

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