LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) — According to the Little Rock Police Department, officers responded to a disturbance at the Shell Gas Station on North Rodney Parham in Little Rock around 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 29.
The suspect had bitten the ear of one employee of the gas station and bitten off the fingertip of another employee, authorities say.
Upon arrival, officers found two people in an altercation, one bleeding profusely from the ear. Another victim on the scene was missing the tip of their pinky finger.
A witness identified Dirk Johnson, 52, of Little Rock as the primary aggressor, stating the altercation began when he tried to back his car into the victims.
Johnson, who was intoxicated, was taken to the 12th Street substation where he became combative with officers.
According to the police report, Johnson has a history of biting extremities and was becoming more aggressive with the officers which led to him being tased.
After being tased, Johnson was still fighting with the officers and was placed into a neck restraint.
Johnson requested a medical evaluation and was transported to UAMS where he was cleared. Then, he was transported to the Pulaski County Regional Jail.
According to Johnson, he went to the gas station to purchase beer and a five-pack of Black and Milds. They were out of the 5-packs, so he asked an employee to sell him five singles for the price of a 5-pack. This started an argument, so he confronted another employee about it, which started a yelling argument with all three people.
Johnson said he attempted to back out of the store when one of the employees followed him and bit him on the arm, which is when Johnson bit the employee’s finger. The other employee came over and allegedly bit Johnson’s finger, so he bit their ear in self-defense, he said.
Dirk Johnson was booked into PCRJ and charged with resisting arrest, public intoxication and two counts of first-degree battery.
