This is so sad. It must be frustrating for his dad that his son is not progressing in his career path but you have to be wise when talking to people because you can't tell what a person is going through. Some majors are not for everyone and no one should be under that type of pressure to perform academically at a field they will not be successful at.
I can't say I blame the father; his reaction was probably normal. The young man probably had some issues that were unresolved. Sad story.