Batesville man held on $50,000 bond following Buffalo River stabbing

Justan Micheal Taylor (Searcy County Sheriff’s Office)

A Batesville man is facing felony battery and drug charges following a reported stabbing at the Woolum Campground within the Buffalo National River.

Justan Micheal Taylor, 37, was taken into custody March 21 after National Park Service officers responded to reports of a man threatening campers. According to a probable cause affidavit filed April 6, an off-duty Arkansas Game and Fish warden and a fellow camper had already restrained Taylor with zip ties by the time law enforcement arrived.

Witnesses from several nearby campsites told investigators that Taylor had been acting aggressively and making verbal threats throughout the evening. The situation escalated into a physical confrontation where Taylor allegedly drew a fixed-blade knife and struck another man in the torso. Investigators noted that the incident occurred within a few feet of a tent where two children, ages 8 and 10, were staying.

Officer Jacob Holm reported that Taylor appeared intoxicated at the scene and resisted efforts to be placed in a patrol vehicle, eventually requiring assistance from multiple Arkansas State Troopers.

A subsequent search of Taylor’s campsite—authorized by a standing parole search waiver—yielded two pipes that tested positive for methamphetamine, along with approximately 1.26 grams of marijuana and other paraphernalia. Taylor later admitted the pipes belonged to him, according to the affidavit.

Taylor’s charges include felony counts of first-degree battery, terroristic threatening, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He also faces several misdemeanors, including endangering the welfare of a minor and resisting arrest.

Court records indicate Taylor has a criminal history dating back to 2009, with two previous sentences served in the Arkansas Department of Corrections. He remains in custody in lieu of a $50,000 bond pending an appearance in Searcy County Circuit Court.