Sheriff's office: Arkansas father, son arrested after 1 tries to conceal gun, 1 threatens officer

An Arkansas father and son were arrested early Thursday after one tried to hide a handgun while talking to a law enforcement officer and the other said "every derogatory name he could think off," officials said.

Sgt. Dustin Norwood with the Craighead County sheriff's office was driving east on County Road 378 around 12:10 a.m. when a pewter 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe drove quickly past him, he wrote in a report.

Norwood said he followed the Tahoe until it pulled into a driveway in the 2500 block of County Road 308. The driver, later identified as 36-year-old Stephen Mark Simpson of Jonesboro, reportedly got out, and two men were standing in the driveway.

One of those men was Simpson's father, 63-year-old Stephen Earl Simpson of Bono, and he appeared "extremely intoxicated," the report said.

While reading the license plate on the Tahoe, Norwood said the son turned part of his body away and started whispering with his father. The 36-year-old was holding a gun in his hand, and Norwood ordered him to put it down, the report said.

The son tossed the gun into the seat of the Tahoe while the father continued to "call me almost every derogatory name he could think of," Norwood reported.

"If you wasn't who you are, I'd whoop your a**," the older Simpson reportedly said before telling Norwood he had a gun in his back pocket.

Norwood held the men at gunpoint until another officer arrived.

The 63-year-old was arrested on a charge of second-degree terroristic threatening. The 36-year-old was arrested on several traffic violations as well as carrying a weapon and drug possession.

The third man standing in the driveway was not arrested.

A court date is scheduled for June 27.

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