Arkansas cop gets fired after he’s caught on video beating inmate in back of police car
A Jonesboro, Arkansas police officer was terminated after disturbing footage surfaced showcasing him violently assaulting a restrained prisoner within his patrol vehicle. Police Chief Rick Elliott announced his intention to forward the case to the district attorney’s office for potential criminal charges.
Officer Joseph Harris was taken off the force and fired from his job on Friday following the release of the patrol car video, which depicted him repeatedly punching, elbowing, and forcefully closing the vehicle door on the incarcerated individual. The incident transpired while the prisoner was being transported from a local medical facility back to the county jail.
Chief Elliott initiated an investigation into the matter after receiving a formal complaint from the county sheriff’s department. The police department subsequently shared the video on its YouTube platform and publicly declared the officer’s termination. Harris had been employed by the department for five years.
In a statement to The Associated Press, Chief Elliott expressed profound shock and disgust at Harris’ actions, emphasizing his department’s zero-tolerance policy for such egregious misconduct.
“I was just shocked and appalled by (Harris’) actions. Based on that conduct, I’m not going to have it and I’m not going put up with it, and immediately terminated him,” Elliott stated to The Associated Press on Monday.
The victim, Billy Lee Coram, was captured on video attempting to asphyxiate himself with a seatbelt while being transported in the patrol car. Once the vehicle came to a stop, Harris launched a physical attack on Coram, striking him multiple times in the face. The officer then proceeded to slam the car door against Coram’s head. The extent of Coram’s injuries remains unknown.
Currently incarcerated at the Craighead County Jail on escape charges, Coram is also wanted by authorities in other states. He had been hospitalized after claiming to have ingested fentanyl and subsequently fled the medical facility. Harris apprehended Coram and placed him in custody. No legal representation has been secured for Coram.
Chief Elliott confirmed his intent to refer the case to the local prosecutor’s office and is currently compiling the necessary documentation. The prosecutor’s office has not yet responded to inquiries. Additionally, the chief has contacted the FBI’s Little Rock field office and will request that the state revoke Harris’ law enforcement certification.
Elliott asserted that there is no justification for Harris’ actions and that a thorough investigation is unnecessary, “Wrong is wrong. There’s not really anything to investigate.”
It is important to note that Harris was previously suspended for excessive force and is a named defendant in a wrongful death lawsuit connected to an inmate fatality at the Craighead County Jail earlier this year.
