A Little Rock man who has been trying to keep the city from demolishing his fire-ravaged house was arrested Thursday after punching a code enforcement officer in the face, according to an arrest report.
Mark Hursey Jones, 53, was arrested at 3715 Elam St. around 1:30 p.m. after he punched code enforcement officer Rick Purifoy in the left eye "causing Mr. Purifoy to bleed," according to an arrest report.
Purifoy was taken to Baptist Health Medical Center-Little Rock for treatment. Jones was arrested and taken to the Pulaski County jail on a second-degree battery charge. Jones was not listed on the jail's roster Thursday night.
The arrest report does not say what Purifoy was doing on the property, but it does list a man from an excavating and demolition company as a witness.
Last week Pulaski County Circuit Judge Chris Piazza ruled that Little Rock can demolish Jones' home at 3715 Elam St., which officials have said is a public nuisance.
On Sept. 15 the city Board of Directors voted unanimously to add the house to the city's demolition list and authorized the city attorney to seek the court order to remove Jones.
The home on Elam Street burned during a March 14 fire that left it "dilapidated, unsightly, dangerous and unsafe," according to a complaint from the city.
Jones asked the city and the judge for more time so he could rebuild his home, saying he still lives on the property and sleeps in a tent outside. He has disputed claims that the home is unsafe and told the judge he is a carpenter and has rebuilt homes that were in worse condition.
Code enforcement officers who had visited the property in the past were told by Jones that they were not welcome.
Metro on 11/06/2015