Actor Ryan O'Neal accused of assaulting adult son

Ryan was arrested and accused of an assault with a deadly weapon and negligent discharge of a firearm, which Ryan says he shot in self-defense after Griffin swung a fireplace poker at him, grazing him four or five times, and hit his own pregnant girlfriend, JoAnne Berry, in the head with it accidentally. JoAnne was injured by the poker and called 911. Later, Ryan was released on $50,000 bail.

Different accounts of the accident are appearing in the press - A close friend of Ryan's says,

Griffin attacked his brother, Redmond, smashing an ashtray over his head. Ryan walked into this and told Griffin to get out of the house. He couldn't do anything but protect himself and Redmond.

Meanwhile, sister Tatum, who was not present during the argument, said,

My heart goes out to Redmond, Griffin and JoJo. Redmond has been going through a hard time and we have all been trying to help him. No matter what my dad is saying in the press, Griffin was not trying to start a fight with him; he was attempting to protect Redmond. I'm sure when the police sort out the facts, the truth will be revealed.

This is not the actor's first tussle with his son - in 1983, he knocked two of Griffin's teeth out during a physical altercation. Griffin has also had many other contacts with the authorities. He received a 18-day jail sentence for not performing 400 hours of community service, his punishment for a boating accident in 1986 that killed Gian-Carlo Coppola, son of Francis Ford Coppola. In 1989 Griffin was charged with drunk driving, and was sentenced to probation; three years later he pleaded not guilty for shooting his estranged girlfriend's unoccupied car. He had to spend a year in live-in drug rehabilitation program and serve five years of probation.

Griffin O'Neal, 42, is his son Joanna Moore, with whom he also has daughter Tatum, 43; Ryan also has son Patrick, 39, with Leigh Taylor-Young, and son Redmond, 22, with Farrah Fawcett. 

Source: CNN, People, and TMZ.

Thanks to CBB reader Michelle.