An officer who was caught on video beating a handcuffed inmate in the back of a patrol car has been fired and the case has been sent to prosecutors, Arkansas’ police chief said.
Jonesboro Police Chief Rick Elliott fired Joseph Harris on Friday, the day after he was captured on patrol car video hitting a handcuffed man with his elbow and then slamming a car door on the man’s head while he was choking him with his seat belt.
Billy Lee Coram, who is white, was in sheriff’s office custody and was being treated at a hospital for suspected fentanyl use during the escape, Elliott said. He was arrested by Harris and was being returned to the county jail at the time of the assault, Elliott said. To his knowledge, Coram did not suffer any permanent injuries, Elliott said.
“The seriousness of the complaint required swift action,” police said in a statement Friday. “Following an internal investigation into the incident, it has been determined that the officer involved, Joseph Harris, should be terminated immediately.”
At the beginning of the roughly 12-minute video posted to the police YouTube page, a visibly distraught Corum, 42, says he swallowed a bag of fentanyl the day before and that it had been visible on an X-ray taken at the hospital, but that hospital staff told him it didn’t show up on the X-ray. He was wearing a hospital gown and socks. According to the video, Corum raised his concerns with several nurses but was rebuffed, but was eventually able to show a doctor the bag that had been visible on the X-ray and was sent to intensive care. Corum also says he hadn’t been to the bathroom since taking the fentanyl. He then put the seat belt around Corum’s neck while the car was moving and tried to strangle him.
After the car pulled over to the side of the road, Harris opened the door and punched and elbowed Coram several times in the face while undoing the seatbelt from around Coram’s neck.
According to a police report based on Harris’ version of events, on the way to the jail, Coram “became very agitated” and intentionally put the seat belt around his neck, pushed his legs up on top of the car and stretched out “in an attempt to strangle him.” Coram could be heard gargling at this time, according to the report. Harris said in the report that he punched Coram in the face with his fist and left elbow, hitting him to “loosen the seat belt.”
“As I began to do this, Mr. Collum twisted his body again so I couldn’t reach to remove the seat belt from around his neck,” said Mr Harris, who said he slammed the door and injured his elbow.
When Harris opened the door again, he found Coram’s eyes closed and not moving, so he “performed a sternum rub” to see if he was conscious, Harris said. A sternum rub involves applying firm pressure with the knuckles of the fingers to the center of a person’s chest who may be unconscious. Coram “eventually woke up,” Harris said, and was then taken to jail without incident.
Elliott Police Chief Gregory G. Wilson said in an interview Tuesday that he learned of the video’s existence Friday morning after receiving a complaint from the county sheriff’s office.
Hours later, Elliott met with Harris and immediately fired him for his actions and behavior. Harris had been with the department for more than five years. Elliott said he reported the matter to Greene County District Attorney Sonia Hagood, who promised to review the video and decide whether to file charges. Hagood did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
Elliott said he also contacted the FBI’s Little Rock field office, which opened the case.
Cody Brooks, a spokesman for the FBI’s Little Rock field office, said the bureau is aware of the incident but, by policy, cannot confirm or deny the existence of an investigation.
Speaking at a town hall meeting hosted by the Craighead County NAACP on Monday, Elliott said he shares the public’s anger.
Elliott said he released the video immediately because it was the right thing to do and he wanted to be transparent.
“I’m not proud of what our officers did, but I’m not going to hide it either,” he said at City Hall.
Then on Tuesday he said: “We were wrong today and we will be wrong next week. Some internal issues come up that are not clear on video. Often it takes several days. But in this case, none was really needed. It was enough to know he should not be employed as a law enforcement officer. We will gather the facts after the fact.”
Coram is being held in Craighead County Jail on suspicion of escape and is seeking extradition to Mississippi, according to prison officials. It is unclear at this time whether he has an attorney. Coram’s next court appearance is on September 27.
Elliott also said he would seek to have Harris disbarred and added to a national database to prevent her from ever working in law enforcement again.
A phone number left for Harris could not immediately be reached.
Mayor Harold Copenhaver said he had seen the video and was “appalled” by Harris’ actions, calling them “inexcusable.”
“I am outraged and disappointed because we expected more from our officers,” he said. “I fully support Chief Elliott’s swift action to fire the officers. This type of behavior will not be tolerated and deserves an investigation.”
Elliott said Tuesday that Harris was suspended for using excessive force until 2022. Harris is a defendant in a lawsuit filed in June over the death of a man who died in Craighead County Jail this year.
