Officer With Violent History Fired After Attacking Prisoner on Video

JONESBORO, Ark. — An officer who was previously disciplined for losing his temper and physically attacking a suspect has now been fired after another violent outburst.

Officer Joseph Harris was fired on Friday, August 9, by the Jonesboro Police Department, JPD announced in a post on their Facebook page. The department released the video of the incident to their YouTube channel after 4 p.m. on Friday.

The video shows a prisoner, Billy Lee Coram, in a medical gown complaining that he thinks he is going to die after being released by the hospital back into the jail. As the prisoner states that he “doesn’t give a fu*k,” Officer Harris shouts back that he “doesn’t give a fu*k.”

The man continues to plead that he has fentanyl in his system and no one will listen to him. The prisoner states the officer doesn’t care if he dies. The officer states responds that doesn’t really care. The prisoner calls the officer a “piece of sh*t.”

The suspect is able to wrap the seatbelt around his throat and appears to attempt to strangle himself. This is when the officer loses his cool.

The officer punches him four times and elbows him six times. Then, he slams the door on the prisoner’s head. Another officer asks him if he is okay. Officer Harris returns and takes the end of his baton and shoves it into the suspect’s chest to get him to move. He then, again, slams the door on the subject’s head.

The subject begins screaming that he can’t feel his legs and that his neck is hurt. However, he is dragged out of the back of the patrol car by what appears to be detention officers, who command him to stand up.

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This isn’t the first time Officer Harris has lost his cool and attacked a suspect. In July 2022, Harris slammed a 21-year-old who had argued with him and other officers outside of the Midnight Rodeo private club, where Harris was working security.

That video went viral when first reported by NEA Report.

Following that incident, JPD issued a statement that said the following:

We are aware and very concerned about the use of force incident that occurred on July 10th in the parking lot of a Jonesboro night club and started circulating on social media this past weekend. Upon learning of this event, we immediately began an investigation into the level of force used by the officers involved during the arrest.

The primary officer in the incident was placed on administrative leave on Monday pending the outcome of this investigation. We will post an update once the investigation has concluded.

July 12 Statement

However, even though JPD’s official statement said it was “very concerned,” the department only suspended Harris for 22 hours without pay.

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Jonesboro defense attorney Mark Rees told NEA Report today the latest display by Harris was unacceptable.

“The community should expect that our police protect and help anyone in custody, especially ones that are clearly having mental issues or drug-induced issues,” Rees said.

NEA Report also contacted Prosecutor Sonia F. Hagood, who had no comment.

NEA Report inquired with JPD Public Information Specialist Sally Smith if there was a criminal investigation into the matter, but she was not aware. However, Harris has not been arrested.

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Added 6 PM Friday:

Chief of Police Rick Elliott called NEA Report after 5 PM on Friday and discussed the incident more. 

“The bottom line is, we got this complaint this morning  and once Captain McDaniel brought it to my attention and we looked at the video, it’s like…we will begin an immediate investigation and to get that officer summoned to report to the PD,” Elliott said. “He worked late, so phone calls to get through to him in the afternoon were unsuccessful. We finally made contact with him this afternoon, and I immediately terminated him. This was egregious enough that I didn’t need a statement from him, I didn’t care to hear a perspective from him, you’re terminated. There’s times that things are iffy and you want the full story and you want to look at everything. But there’s enough here that I don’t have to look at nothing else. Enough is enough, I’m not tolerating this, I’m not having this. You’re done.”

Although the incident was egregious enough to warrant immediate termination, it apparently wasn’t egregious enough to warrant an immediate arrest for charges of assault or battery. Elliott said there were questions to the degree of injuries, which could worsen the charges.

However, the chief acknowledged it did appear to be criminal.

On his drive back to the police station to speak to the media Friday afternoon, Elliott said he contacted the prosecutor, Hagood. He said once the investigation is completed, it would be presented to her to determine charges.

Our reporter asked the chief looking back, should Harris have been fired in 2022.

“That’s a different situation than this,” Elliott said. “Using a take down instead of beating someone is a little different.”

The chief pointed to the department releasing the video without request as the department attempting to handle the situation transparently. He said he would not tolerate conduct like this from his people – and he mentioned that he has no problem firing people.

This complaint came in, we got on it immediately, we addressed it immediately and put the whole video out there to try to address what took place,” Elliott said. “In the past, these things could drag on for days. But if there’s a screw up, there’s a screw up. Put it out there.”

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Coram’s probable cause affidavit says on August 8, as an inmate at Craighead County Detention Center, he was taken to St. Bernard’s hospital because he claimed to have swallowed illegal drugs. While there, he decided to leave the hospital while still awaiting transport to another state on felony escape charges.

Jonesboro officers located Coram a short distance from the hospital and took him back into custody. That’s when Officer Harris transported him to the detention center on a felony third degree escape charge.

All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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In addition to the previous two cases, Harris was also at the center of another controversy involving the death of an inmate at Craighead County Detention Center.

According to a lawsuit, Officers Harris and Perkins were dispatched at 10:59 PM on May 3 to the 1000-block of South Gee Street for a crisis intervention call for Brock Austin Tyner. An ambulance had been dispatched to the scene but was canceled by the officers, who decided to arrest Tyner for public intoxication and take him to jail. He later died.

The lawyers for Tyner’s family argued that Tyner had an established right to appropriate medical care – but the city failed to properly train the defendants and has implemented illegal policies and procedures.

UPDATE: 7:15 PM 

The FBI will be opening a case on this incident, according to Police Chief Rick Elliott. The Little Rock office will be investigating, he said.

UPDATE:  8:15 PM

Mayor Harold Copenhaver issued this statement to NEA Report through Communications Director Donna Malone:

“I’ve watched the video and I’m appalled because the officer’s actions in that video are inexcusable. I’m upset and disappointed because we expect more from our officers. I fully support Chief Elliot’s prompt action to terminate the officer. This kind of behavior will not be tolerated and merits investigation.“