By Ray King
A $100,000 bond was set Thursday for a teenager accused of scuffling with a Jefferson County Sheriff’s investigator trying to arrest him and having a handgun that went off during the scuffle.
Pine Bluff District Judge John Kearney set the bond for Desmond Richards, 16, after ruling prosecutors have probable cause to charge him with aggravated assault and possession of a handgun by a minor. Richards is being charged as an adult.
During the court hearing, Deputy Prosecutor Joe West said late in the afternoon on Monday, sheriff’s investigators responded to a report of shots fired at Grant Street and West 16th Avenue.
West said when Richards was interviewed, he admitted he did try to flee from deputies and that he did have a handgun even though he is only 16 years old. He also claimed that the gun went off because of the actions of the investigator, a claim that the investigator denied.
The Public Defender’s Office was appointed to represent Richards and he was told to come back to court June 15.
