A Salina man faces multiple charges after he confronted a group of people in the parking lot of Walmart Saturday.

Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester said Monday that police were called to the parking lot of Walmart, 2900 S. Ninth, at 5:35 p.m. Saturday. There they found an altercation between James Sparks Jr., 41, of Salina, and several other people.

Sparks allegedly noticed a woman strike her eight-year-old child and confronted her about it. Another bystander heard the confrontation and allegedly heard Sparks threaten to beat up the woman and others with her, so he stepped in to attempt to break up the confrontation, Forrester said. Sparks then allegedly went to his car, pulled out a hand gun, pointed it at the woman, and threatened to kill her, Forrester said. Sparks allegedly also pointed the gun at a man who was with the woman, Forrester said. The hand gun turned out to be a BB gun, he added.

Sparks faces two counts of aggravated assault, one count of criminal threat, one count of interference with a law enforcement officer, and one count of disorderly conduct, Forrester said.