A Tennessee man has been arrested after he allegedly bit his infant son on the cheek during a public outburst at a chicken wing restaurant in Memphis.
The incident took place around 1 a.m. on Friday, May 1, at Memphis Wings. Police reported to the scene after they received reports that a man, who has since been identified as Jerry Stark, attacked his own child while inside of the restaurant.
Upon their arrival, police found Stark, 34, “screaming and panicking” inside the restaurant, according to an arrest affidavit viewed by WREG.
Prior to the outburst at the restaurant, Stark was allegedly seen at a nearby Shell gas station and a Marathon gas station where he was asking people for help as he held the child, according to the outlet.
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Stark reportedly ran over to Memphis Wings, got down on the kitchen floor and started squeezing the child tightly until he turned blue. He then allegedly bit the boy on the cheek before bystanders managed to get the boy safely away from him.
After he entered the restaurant, Stark allegedly told patrons that his family was trying to kill him and he said that he needed to get away from them.
One witness took to Facebook to share a video of police reporting to the restaurant.
“Seeing that baby face really broke my heart,” the witness wrote alongside the clip. “I can’t even sleep thinking about that baby,” the man said. “The devil is busy.”
Footage also captured people outside the restaurant as they held the door shut to stop Stark from leaving. “The baby’s skin is on his lips and cheek!” one witness was heard saying.
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The boy was rushed to a local hospital and was treated for a noncritical facial injury. The child’s mother was later contacted and told investigators that Stark pushed her out of a moving vehicle prior to the incident and he drove off with their son, per the affidavit.
As the boy was taken to the hospital, Stark was taken into custody and was booked into the Shelby County Jail. He has since been charged with domestic assault causing bodily harm.
It is not currently clear if Stark has entered a plea or retained legal counsel following his arrest. The Shelby Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment regarding the case.
Stark is scheduled to appear in court on the morning of Tuesday, May 5, according to online court records viewed by Us.
