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Arrest and Beating in Patrol Car
On August 8, 2024, Billy Lee Coram, a 42‑year‑old inmate in a hospital gown, was being transferred from a Little Rock-area hospital back to Craighead County jail after stating he’d ingested fentanyl and escaping custody. Bodycam footage captured him struggling, visibly panicked and anxious, as he wrapped a seatbelt around his neck in an apparent attempt to dislodge the drugs from his throat.
Dr.iving back to the jail, officer Joseph Tucker Harris, 29, suddenly opens the rear door and begins striking Coram—punching, elbowing, and even slamming the car door against his head. The video shows Harris also jabbing Coram with a baton and continuing his assault until Coram collapses, unconscious.
Onlookers and investigators described the beating as brutal. For instance, Reddit users reacting to the released footage wrote:
“It was seizure, beaten unconscious, tazed awake then beaten again.”
Immediate Aftermath and Termination
The Jonesboro Police Department released the footage and fired Harris the very next day, citing the “serious nature of the complaint” Police Chief Rick Elliott said he was “shocked and appalled” and took swift action, contacting prosecutors and the FBI’s Little Rock office while also pursuing Harris’s decertification.
Legal Fallout and Federal Lawsuit
In September 2024, Coram filed a federal lawsuit against Harris, Chief Elliott, and the City of Jonesboro, alleging violation of his constitutional rights. The suit claims Harris acted with unnecessary violence and that Chief Elliott was aware of Harris’s history and failed to act. The complaint notes a prior 2022 incident, when Harris violently tackled a man outside a nightclub, resulting in only administrative leave.
Criminal Charges
Five months later, on January 23, 2025, Harris was arrested and charged with:
• Aggravated assault
• Filing a false report
• Third-degree battery
He was released on a $15,000 bond . Meanwhile, Coram remains jailed on escape charges, and the lawsuit is slated for trial in May 2026.
Broader Context and Implications
• Use‑of‑Force Culture: Harris was already tied to at least one wrongful death lawsuit for a detainee’s death in 2023, and had previously been disciplined for excessive force.
• Calls for Accountability: Coram’s legal team is seeking more than damages; they’re pushing for DOJ investigation and reforms to Jonesboro Police training .
• Official Response: Officials—including Mayor Harold Copenhaver—publicly condemned the brutality and expressed full support for Chief Elliott’s decision to fire Harris.
What Happens Next?
• Criminal Court: Harris faces serious felony charges; his trial is pending.
• Civil Trial: Coram’s federal case will proceed in May 2026.
• Departmental Changes: Jonesboro officials have promised stricter training, oversight, and transparent incident reviews.
Bottom Line
This distressing case highlights systemic failures in policing: an officer with a known history of violence escalated a crisis involving a distressed, possibly overdosing man into a violent beating while he was restrained. The rapid dismissal and subsequent criminal charges offer a measure of accountability, but the lasting change will rest on the civil court’s outcome and whether the Jonesboro Police Department adopts real reform.
Attached is a news article regarding a police officer called Joseph Harris beating up a man
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna189117
Article written and configured by Christopher Stanley
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