ROCKFORD, Ill. – An Illinois dad was jailed on assault charges after he allegedly attempted to run down students with his SUV in front of an elementary school.

Roy Williams Jr., 56, called police to Nelson Elementary School in Rockford last Wednesday after his 13-year-old daughter was involved in a fight at the school. But instead of waiting for police to arrive, Williams allegedly took after the bullies with a cane, and when that didn’t work he ran through the crowd of kids with his Dodge Durango, WREX 13 reports.

“We came over to see what was going on. We heard there was a fight and the next thing we know her dad showed up,” Trey Telfair, who was at a nearby skate park with friend Nathan Velez, told the news site.

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“His daughter got into a little fight with this other girl. That other girl hit her,” said Valez, who took video of the vehicle with a cell phone and posted it online.

“He was coming at us and he was revving his engine to speed up when he was getting close to people and when he got close to me I just jumped out of the way,” Telfair said.

Video shows the vehicle driving up onto the sidewalk and grass in front of Nelson as students scrambled to get out of the way. It appeared as if Williams was attempting to disperse the crowd. The vehicle did not strike anyone at the scene, the Daily Mail reports.

“He was just coming after everybody,” said Velez, who can be heard yelling “I got your bitch ass on video” in the recording. Students at the scene were also screaming profanities at Williams.

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The Rockford Register Star reports the video was discussed on national broadcasts like Fox News’ FOX & Friends, where a host criticized Williams’ $15,000 bail. Williams’ family started a GoFundMe page to “Free Roy Williams,” who remains in jail on 12 counts each of aggravated assault with a vehicle and aggravated assault on public property.

He also faces two counts of assault, reckless driving and reckless conduct, according to the news site.

The GoFundMe page said Williams – a disabled diabetic – “was protecting his daughter” during the incident and had raised about $1,800 toward his bail Monday. The page is no longer operable, however.

Williams is scheduled to be arraigned September 11.

Rockford Police Assistant Deputy Chief Doug Pann told WREX 13 that Williams “should have not taken matters into his own hands.”

“We would have investigated that initial incident and tried to resolve it without there being any further violence,” Pann said.

Police did investigate the initial fight, but Pann told the news site nobody was injured and no charges were filed.

Readers online voiced mixed reactions to the ordeal.

“I think he was just trying to scare the group and break up the disturbance,” Rolla Wayne posted to WREX 13. “I’m sure he could have run over somebody if he really wanted to, but he didn’t and nobody got hurt. I’m for the father.”

Renee was not “for the father.”

“He drove a 4,300 pound weapon through a group of children, and you don’t think he should be jailed for it?” she questioned.

Others alluded that there’s more to the story than the video or newscasts let on.

“This is a good man who needs to be home with his daughter to help replace what those brats stole and broke!” April Norman posted.

“Her glasses and cell phone!” Norman wrote with a link to the now defunct GoFundMe page.