Several police officers in Arkansas last week arrested a father for piercing his teenage son’s ear, a viral video shows.

A team of Tontitown police officers shoved Jeremy Sherland, 45, against a wall in his home, handcuffed and arrested him on charges of performing body art without a license on Thursday, according to a cellphone video recorded and posted by his son.

Mr. Sherland can be heard scoffing at officers and the charge against him. His wife and son can be heard chiding the officers outside their home.

“Piercing his son’s ear without a license takes three cops, four cops, coming into my house without permission — no permission — [and] they busted in my front door,” Mr. Sherland’s wife can be heard saying. The teen also can be heard saying he wanted to have his ear pierced.

Police said Saturday they learned about the piercing after a school resource officer for Springdale Public Schools reported it. 

The officer said he spotted the teen with a piercing in his left ear and heard the student say “his dad was drunk and put him in a chokehold and shoved the piercing in his ear.”

Tontitown police said they spoke to Mr. Sherland at his home, who admitted to piercing his son’s ear but wouldn’t let police talk to the teen and didn’t answer any more questions.

Police later returned to Mr. Sherland’s home with an arrest warrant. Officers said that’s when the father refused to step outside and blocked the doorway, prompting the aggressive arrest caught on video.

Mr. Sherland was charged with performing body art on a person under 16 years of age, regardless of parental consent, and for giving his son the piercing without a license.

He also was charged with endangering the welfare of a minor, refusal to submit to arrest and obstructing governmental operations. 

Mr. Sherland was released on bond Saturday night and had his initial court hearing Monday.

• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.