In a disturbing incident that has sent shockwaves through the community, an Arkansas police officer has been terminated after being caught on video brutally assaulting a handcuffed inmate in the back of his patrol car. Jonesboro Police Chief Rick Elliott announced the immediate dismissal of Officer Joseph Harris, following a troubling incident captured on Harris’ patrol car video.
The unsettling footage reveals Harris relentlessly punching, elbowing, and slamming the door on the inmate as he was being transported from a local hospital back to the county jail. The video, which spans roughly 12 minutes, shows the victim, Billy Lee Coram, dressed in a hospital gown and attempting to strangle himself with a seatbelt wrapped around his neck. The harrowing scene continues as Harris pulls over, opens the car door, and launches a brutal assault on Coram.
Chief Elliott, who reviewed the video after a complaint from the county sheriff’s office, expressed his shock and horror at the unacceptable conduct. “I was just shocked and appalled by (Harris’) actions,” Elliott stated. “Based on that conduct, I’m not going to have it and I’m not going to put up with it, and immediately terminated him.”
Harris, who had been with the department for five years, could not be reached for comment. Meanwhile, Coram remains detained at the Craighead County jail on escape charges and outstanding out-of-state warrants. He had been taken to the hospital after claiming to have ingested fentanyl and subsequently escaped from the hospital before being apprehended by Harris.
The police department has taken swift action by posting the video on its YouTube channel and making an official announcement regarding the officer’s dismissal. Chief Elliott did not specify the extent of Coram’s injuries from the assault. Additionally, Elliott has mentioned that he is referring the case to the local prosecutor and preparing the necessary paperwork for further legal action. The local prosecutor has yet to respond to calls for comment.
Elliott has also reached out to the FBI’s Little Rock office and plans to request the state to decertify Harris as a police officer. “Wrong is wrong. There’s not really anything to investigate,” Elliott emphasized.
This incident is not the first blemish on Harris’ record. He had previously been suspended two years ago for excessive force and is currently a defendant in a wrongful death lawsuit related to an inmate who died in the Craighead County jail earlier this year.
