The Hempstead County Sheriff’s Office has named a person of interest the stabbing of a man in Ozan Saturday night.

According to Sheriff Singleton, Michael Larry Bowles, 52, is wanted in connection to the stabbing of Sharvanta White. Bowles last known address was 301 Southeast J St in Washington. Anyone with information about Bowles is asked to contact the Hemsptead County Sheriff’s Office at 870-777-6727.

According to the Sheriff, the stabbing occurred sometime before 9:21 p.m. Saturday, March 4 at Lee’s Barbeque in the 100 block of Hempstead 22. The store was opreated by the victim, Sharvanta White.

White told Deputy Sorensen he was stabbed by someone named Mike. White said Mike came into his store and started arguing with him before jumpinh on him and stabbing him.

A witness told deputies he had been at the barbeque shack earlier in the day to get some food. He further told deputies that as he was going home he saw a black male standing outside the store. The witness said he slowed down to tell White “goodnight” when the man standing outside said “they’re fighting”.

The witness said he got out of his truck to try to break up the fight and saw a man he recognized from thee store when he was there earlier. He said the man was on top of White and stabbed him repeatedly in the chest and stomach area with a knife.

The witness told Deputies he then left the building and went across the street to call 911. He said that he saw the man who stabbed White exit the building and run along West Front St toward Highway 278 West. He said he lost sight of the man for “sometime” and attempted to locate him again. He told deputies he thought he saw the man get picked up by a gold colored SUV near the intersection of Highway 278 West and west Front St. He said the SUV travelled west on 278 toward Nashville.

The witness told deputies he didn’t know who either the man who told him they were fighting or the man who stabbed White were.

According to a statement to deputies from a 911 caller, White showed up at her house and knocked on her door while she was asleep. She said when she came outside, White told her he had been stabbed at his barbeque store and walked to her house at 115 Elm St in Ozan.

Sheriff Singleton said at approximately 9:21 p.m., Deputy Sorensen was dispatched to the residence on Elm St where White was located in reference to a stabbing. When Deputy Sorensen arrived he made contact with White on the front porch of the residence. Sorensen observed White’s shirt was saturated in blood with multiple small cuts in it. White was alert and responsive. Sorensen observed the lacerations to his chest and abdomen and told him to remain still until Pafford EMS arrived on scene. This is when White told Sorensen what occurred.

When Pafford arrived on scene they immediately began treating White. Pafford the requested Ozan first responders set up a landing zone for LifeNet’s helicopter. White was flown to St Mincent Mercy Hospital in Hot Springs where he is listed in critical condition.