LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A former Jonesboro police officer, Joseph Tucker Harris, 29, has been arrested and charged for assaulting a handcuffed inmate in the back of his patrol car. Harris faces charges of aggravated assault, filing a false report, and third-degree battery. He was released on a $15,000 bond.
The incident occurred last year when Harris, who was later fired in August, was caught on his patrol car camera attacking detainee Billy Lee Coram. The footage shows Harris punching, elbowing, and slamming a car door against Coram’s head while he was restrained. Coram was being transported from a hospital back to the Craighead County jail at the time.
Harris does not appear to have an attorney for this criminal case, and his lawyer in a related federal lawsuit has not responded to media inquiries.
Coram has filed a federal lawsuit against Harris, the city of Jonesboro, and the city’s police chief, claiming his constitutional rights were violated. The trial for this lawsuit is set for May 2026.
The video of the incident lasts about 12 minutes. In it, Coram, wearing a hospital gown, wraps a seatbelt around his neck while the car is moving. Harris stops the vehicle, opens the door, and strikes Coram multiple times in the face as he untangles the belt. At one point, Harris slams the car door against Coram’s head.
According to the lawsuit, Coram had been hospitalized earlier that day after ingesting a bag of fentanyl. He panicked and ran away from the hospital but was caught and taken back into custody. The lawsuit claims Coram wrapped the seatbelt around his neck in an attempt to gag himself and dislodge the fentanyl he believed was still in his system.
The video evidence of Harris’s actions led to his termination from the police department and now forms a key part of the criminal case against him. The case has raised concerns about police conduct and the treatment of detainees, especially those experiencing medical or mental health crises.
Harris’s arrest and upcoming legal battles underscore the importance of accountability and proper training for law enforcement officers to prevent excessive use of force.
