Arkansas father arrested after allegedly piercing his minor son’s ear

TONTITOWN, Ark. (TCD) -- Police arrested a 45-year-old father accused of piercing his minor son’s ear at home, which violates state law.

On Thursday, April 20, a Springdale Police school resource officer notified the Tontitown Police Department regarding a juvenile student who went to school with a piercing in his left ear. During class, the student reportedly said that his father, Jeremy Sherland, "was drunk and put him in a chokehold and shoved the piercing in his ear."

Police responded to the home, where Sherland eventually confessed to piercing his son’s ear. However, when officers attempted to investigate the matter further, Sherland refused to allow them to interview his son and declined to speak with officials any further. Police left the home without incident.

Police spoke with the Washington County Prosecutor’s Office and returned to Sherland’s home to make a probable cause arrest. Officers asked Sherland to come outside, but he "refused, standing in the doorway with his hands behind the door and wall posturing himself."

Police told him they had cause to arrest him, but Sherland "refused to comply." Officers and Sherland got into an altercation, which was captured in a viral TikTok video.

According to the Tontitown Police, Arkansas law states, "A person shall not perform body art on a person under 16 years of age, regardless of parental consent."

It is also illegal to perform body art at an unlicensed facility.

Sherland also faces charges of endangering the welfare of a minor, refusal to submit to arrest, and obstructing governmental operations.

According to the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette, he was booked into the Washington County Detention Center and later released on $1,500 bond.

MORE:

• Press release in reference to viral video — Tontitown Police Department
• Tontitown man’s felony arrest connected to son’s ear piercing — Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette
• TikTok — @iamnugget770