One of the most fascinating experiences of my adult life is watching how other people parent. As someone who carries a lot of self-doubt, I’m always observing how parents handle situations and comparing it to how I would have. I’ve learned so much from other parents by silently doing this. I’ve watched how brilliantly some moms navigate a meltdown, and I’ve stood in awe of how others have tapped into their patience in ways I hadn’t previously been able to. Unfortunately, this means I have also witnessed a lot of behavior that I personally don’t approve of.
Though it has never been egregious enough that I felt the need to intervene, those moments do happen out in the wild. In fact, a room full of restaurant patrons in Memphis, Tennessee, was put in that tough position of having to intercede after multiple guests alleged they saw a father intentionally bite his infant’s cheek.
Witnesses claim they saw ‘the baby’s skin on his lips’ after the incident occurred at a chicken wing restaurant.
The public became privy to the incident thanks to social media influencer Mitch Boss, who shared a viral video of the police’s response to the calls, Law & Crime reported. In the video, you can hear multiple people screaming as they detained dad Jerry Stark inside the restaurant by holding the door closed until authorities arrived. Police and witnesses say authorities responded to the call at the Memphis Wings restaurant at 2661 North Hollywood Street about 1 a.m., with reports of Stark allegedly attacking his own infant child.
According to Fox 13, Stark entered the establishment holding the infant and appeared to be extremely panicked. Witnesses said Stark lay down on the floor and said, “My family is trying to kill me.”
Law & Crime added that witnesses saw the dad squeezing the baby so tightly on the kitchen floor that he began to turn blue.
When people tried to remove the baby from the dad’s arms, he began biting the child’s cheeks.
That’s when patrons sprang into action. The video shows several people blocking the exit, where Stark was seen (without the baby) standing by the door as authorities arrived. One witness was heard calling out, “The baby’s skin is on his lips and cheek!”
“He had to be on drugs or experiencing a mental breakdown,” wrote a follower on the viral Facebook video. “I work with him; he’s a good person. Something has happened to him, drugs or a mental breakdown, yes, he’s definitely wrong for his actions, but there’s something deeper going on with him.”
The child’s mother claims Stark pushed her out of a moving vehicle and took off with their son.
Stark was arrested by Shelby County Police and is booked at Shelby County Jail on the charge of domestic assault causing bodily harm.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of domestic abuse, you can find help and support at DVIS.org, the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or by contacting your local women’s shelter (domesticshelters.org).
