NEW CITY – The South Orangetown School District’s swine flu policy was the apparent reason why a parent went to the school armed with a gun and took the superintendent hostage in his office last week, Rockland County District Attorney Thomas Zugibe said Tuesday.

Peter Cocker, 36, of Tappan, a retired New York City police officer, was indicted by a Rockland County grand jury on six counts including kidnapping in the second degree, criminal use of a firearm in the first degree, two counts of burglary, coercion in the first degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree.

It is alleged that on June 9 at around 11:35 a.m. Cocker went to the Orangetown Middle School in Blauvelt armed with a handgun because he was upset over a letter Superintendent Kenneth Mitchell had sent home with students about the district’s swine flu policy. The letter said student absenteeism was rising, but the district was following county Health Department advice not to close schools.

After storming past school security, Cocker forced his way into Mitchell’s office. During a violent struggle, Mitchell wrestled the gun away and held Cocker down on the floor.

When Orangetown Police arrived, they found t he office door locked and heard sounds of a struggle, so they shot the door handle and seized Cocker.

During the ordeal, the school was locked down and there were no injuries. Zugibe said during the altercation, Cocker had threatened Mitchell with deadly force, saying he would shoot him in the heart.

Cocker is in the Rockland County Jail without bail. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in state prison.