Poplar Bluff man charged with striking child, 3, with a firearm

A Poplar Bluff man appeared in court Monday afternoon on charges he struck a 3-year-old with a pistol.

Jordan Lamar Holloway of the 200 block of Euclid made his initial appearance before Associate Circuit Judge C. Wade Pierce and was formally arraigned.

The 22-year-old is charged with the Class C felony of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child, the Class E felony of unlawful use of a weapon and the unclassified felony of armed criminal action.

An attorney with the Public Defender’s Office entered an appearance on Holloway’s behalf and requested a bond reduction, according to court personnel. Holloway’s bond is set at $50,000 cash or surety.

Pierce set a bond hearing for Nov. 17.

The charges against Holloway stem from an investigation by the Poplar Bluff Police Department.

On Saturday, according to police Lt. Keith Hefner, officers were called to the 500 block of Lester Street regarding a fight in progress.

“Officers checked the area and cleared after finding no reporting party,” Hefner said. “Shortly after clearing, officers were flagged down and notified that there had been a 3-year-old child struck with a pistol during the incident.”

Hefner said officers were directed to a residence in the 400 block of Lester Street, where they found the injured child and a 23-year-old man, who also had been assaulted.

Police Patrolman Zachary Tubb reportedly contacted the home’s occupants.

Rodrick Russell, according to Tubb’s probable-cause statement, told him “Jordan Holloway, along with several of his companions, arrived” at the 400 block of Lester Street residence in a dark colored sedan.

“Holloway exited the vehicle and struck him in the head with a silver pistol,” Tubb said. “In the act of assaulting Russell, a 3-year-old was also struck by Holloway.

“Both Holloway and the child sustained a visible injury to their head.”

Information obtained from the victim, Hefner said, suggests “this assault occurred in response to an earlier physical altercation.”

While at the residence, Tubb said, he also spoke with two women, including the child’s mother.

The mother, Tubb said, reported she was walking with her son when the sedan stopped in front of the residence and “Holloway exited the vehicle, produced a firearm and struck Russell and her child in the head.”

The other woman, Tubb said, provided a similar account.

On Sunday, Tubb said, he contacted Holloway, who was told of his rights.

Tubb said Holloway reported he went to the residence in the 400 block of Lester Street “after speaking with a friend about an assault.

“When he arrived, he was met by two people. Instead of leaving, Holloway exited his vehicle and struck one adult male and one child on the head, causing visible injury.”

Both, according to Holloway’s statement, were struck with a handgun.

Holloway subsequently was arrested and booked at the Butler County jail.

At the time of Holloway’s arrest, he was on five-years’ supervised probation through Stoddard County, having pleaded guilty in December to the Class C felony of delivery of a controlled substance.

Holloway also has a Class D felony of possession of a controlled substance pending in Butler County.

He is to appear Oct. 15 before Presiding Circuit Judge Michael Pritchett for a motion hearing in that case.