By Ray King

A Jefferson County man was arrested Saturday night after being involved in an altercation that resulted in the death of his father.

Ryan Lawrence, 19, is accused of knocking William Bryan Lawrence, 48, to the ground and then stomping on him multiple times, Sheriff’s Lt. Kaylon McDaniel said in a probable cause affidavit presented in district court Monday.

Reading from that affidavit, Deputy Prosecutor Beth Carson said Deputies were sent to 6610 C.C. Road in response to the reported altercation and when they arrived found paramedics working on the elder Lawrence. An off-duty Pine Bluff Police Officer, Sgt. Richard Wegner, who volunteers with the Watson Chapel Fire Department had arrived prior to the deputies and had taken Ryan Lawrence into custody.

Carson described what the deputies were told by a witness.

Ryan Lawrence was not questioned Saturday because he appeared to be intoxicated. On Sunday, McDaniel and Investigator Sandra Harper conducted a recorded interview with Ryan Lawrence and Carson what he told the investigators.

Carson said photographs taken at UAMS showed that William Lawrence had multiple bruises on the face and head and several lacerations to the head. Deputies learned that Ryan Lawrence was wearing boots and those were taken as evidence.

Pine Bluff District Judge John Kearney set a $100,000 bond for Ryan Lawrence after ruling prosecutors have probable cause to charge him with second-degree murder. The Public Defender’s Office was appointed to represent Ryan Lawrence and he was told to come back to court May 19.