Arkansas father arrested in viral video for piercing sons ear

Publish date: 2024-04-25

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An Arkansas father is facing a felony charge after his arrest Thursday for piercing his son’s ear.

The chaos began during a Tontitown Police Department welfare check after a Springdale High School resource officer reported a student telling classmates his drunk father “put him in a choke hold and shoved the piercing in his ear,” cops said in a statement.

Jeremy Sherland, 45, admitted to piercing his son’s ear, but refused to let officers speak to the boy — and would not answer any further questions.

Police later returned in numbers with an arrest warrant issued by the Washington County Prosecutor’s Office, which sparked the mayhem captured on video.

In the TikTok posted by Sherland’s son, four stone-faced officers were seen inside the Sherlands’ home, pinning the father against the wall and slapping handcuffs on him.

“I wanted my ears pierced,” Sherland’s son is heard yelling at officers in the now-viral video.

As confusion set in, Sherland’s wife ran over to the officers and repeatedly asked why they were in the house and demanded to know what cause they had to arrest her husband.

An Arkansas father was handcuffed and arrested in his own home for piercing his underage son’s ear. Washington County Sheriffs Office
Sherland laughs as an officer explains to his wife why he’s being arrested. TikTok/iamnugget770
After a brief struggle, officers are forced to shove the father out the door of his own house. TikTok/iamnugget770

“Why are you doing this,” Sherland’s son asked the officers while they were manhandling his father.

During the chaos, an officer explains to the woman that the father is being arrested for performing “body art without a license,” to which Sherland lets out an exaggerated laugh and sarcastically echoes the officer, seemingly baffled by the charges.

Officers then attempted to escort the father out of his home but Sherland put up a brief struggle — forcing police to shove him out the front door.

As officers marched the irate father down the suburban street, his wife and son followed, both in total disbelief at the situation.

“It takes three cops, four cops, coming into my house with no permission. No permission and busted in my front door,” his wife screams at the cops as they move toward their vehicles with her cuffed husband.

“I wanted my ears pierced,” Sherland’s son yells at the officers as they place his dad in the patrol car.

The officers did not engage with Sherland’s wife or son as they escorted him to the patrol car. TikTok/iamnugget770
The ear-piercing father posted bond and was released after spending two nights in jail. TikTok/iamnugget770

In Arkansas, it is illegal for artists to “perform body art on a person under sixteen (16) years of age, regardless of parental consent.” 

Violation of that law is a Class D felony.

Since Sherland was not a licensed artist, it was also illegal for him “to perform body art in any unlicensed facility.” 

The dad was also charged with endangering the welfare of a minor, refusing to submit to arrest, and obstructing governmental operations.

Sherland was released on a $1,500 bond Saturday after spending two nights in the Washington County jail, according to online records.

“Officers told Jeremy he was under arrest and explained the probable cause for the arrest. Jeremy refused to comply. Officers then took him into custody,” the statement read.

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