A Tennessee father has been arrested for biting his infant son in the cheek.
Memphis Police responded to an ambulance request call around 1 a.m. Friday, May 1, 2026.
When officers arrived on scene, they found 34-year-old Jerry Stark inside a restaurant, screaming and panicked.
Restaurant staff told police that Stark ran into the business, lay down with his infant son on the kitchen floor, and said his family is trying to kill him.
Officers spoke with Stark, who repeated that his family was trying to kill him and said he needed her.
Witnesses at a Shell gas station told police that Stark had been there previously, holding his son and asking for help.
They said he got into a red SUV and headed to another gas station to ask for help.
Police say witnesses told them they tried taking the infant from Stark because he was squeezing the baby, who was turning blue.
That’s when Stark reportedly panicked and bit the infant on the right side of his cheek.
After that, witnesses told police they managed to pull the baby away from Stark and left the building. Someone called the police.
Police located the baby’s mother, who said she and Stark were driving when he pushed her out of the moving vehicle and left in an unknown direction.
Officers noted the infant had an injury on the right side of his face. He was taken to the hospital in non-critical condition.
Police placed Stark in custody. He is scheduled to appear in court on Monday, May 4, 2026, but it is unclear what charges he faces.
