Witnesses told police they pulled the baby away after a struggle.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis police said a 3-month-old boy was hospitalized in non-critical condition after his father bit him on the cheek during an early Friday incident that began with calls for help and ended with an arrest.
The father, 34-year-old Jerry Stark, was found inside a restaurant after police responded to an ambulance request around 1 a.m. Officers said Stark appeared panicked and was screaming. The case has unsettled Frayser residents after new details spread through the neighborhood.
Restaurant employees told police Stark ran into the business with the infant, lay down on the kitchen floor and said his family was trying to kill him. Police said officers spoke with Stark and he repeated that claim while saying he needed help.
Before that, witnesses at a Shell gas station said Stark had been holding the baby and asking for help. Police said witnesses reported that Stark left in a red SUV and went to another gas station. At some point, witnesses tried to remove the baby from Stark’s arms because they believed he was squeezing the child and the baby was turning blue.
Police said Stark then panicked and bit the infant on the right side of his face. Witnesses were able to pull the child away and leave the building, according to investigators. Officers later saw an injury on the baby’s right cheek, and the child was taken to a hospital.
The child’s mother told police she had been riding with Stark when he pushed her out of a moving vehicle and drove away. Authorities have not said where she was pushed out, whether she received medical treatment or whether any other people were inside the vehicle.
Stark was taken into custody after officers arrived. He was expected in court Monday, though early police accounts did not specify the charges. The investigation included witness statements from gas station and restaurant workers, police said.
In Frayser, neighbors described the allegations as disturbing and hard to understand. Several said the case raised concern because the victim was so young and because the incident moved across public places where workers and witnesses became part of the emergency response.
The baby’s condition was listed as non-critical after the hospital transport. Police had not released a detailed update on the child’s recovery or the next court date beyond Stark’s expected Monday appearance.
Author note: Last updated May 4, 2026.