By Ray King
A $25,000 bond was set Monday for a Pine Bluff man previously convicted of a felony after a gun was found in his hand while state troopers were conducting a welfare check.
Jefferson County District Judge Kim Bridgforth set the bond after ruling prosecutors have probable cause to charge Torrall Stocker, 38, with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
On Saturday, Trooper James Harrell responded to Highway 65-B (Martha Mitchell Expressway and Bryant Street where they found Stocker asleep in a parked vehicle on the side of the road. He was reportedly holding a pistol in one hand and a cell phone in the other and initial efforts to wake him up were unsuccessful. Troopers obtained a lock-out kit and were able to open the vehicle door and take Stocker into custody.
He was told to come back to court Sept. 12.
In a related matter, he pleaded not guilty to failure to maintain control and no seat belt.
