By Ray King
A Pine Bluff man was arrested After he was accused of firing shots in the parking lot of a convenience store and wounding a juvenile
Jakari Harper, 30, told police he saw someone get into his car after he parked it at the Circle N on West 28th Avenue and he fired shots at that person.
During a court hearing Friday, Deputy Prosecutor Beth Carson said police were sent to South Gum Street at 11:15 p.m. in reference to a reported shooting, and when they arrived found a 14-year-old male with a single gunshot wound to the left side of his back. The boy said he was walking to the store when a white car passed by and a person in the car started shooting. He was taken to Jefferson Regional Hospital for treatment.
Detective Smith reported that a short time later police dispatches reported that a car had been stolen at the Circle N and there were bullet holes in the car. Officers were unable to locate anyone who said their car had been stolen but found shell casings on the parking lot of the Circle N and Wendy’s next door.
They later spoke to the owner of the vehicle who gave officers a description of a person she had seen getting into her car and the description matched that of the person seen on video firing shots.
Pine Bluff District Judge John Kearney set a $15,000 bond for Harper, who Carson said had no prior convictions or pending charges after ruling prosecutors have probable cause to charge him with first-degree battery. He was ordered to have no contact with the victim and to come back to court Aug. 22.
