Jonesboro Police have released the personnel files of Officer Joseph Harris who was fired on Aug. 9 for allegedly using excessive force on a jail inmate. Police submitted the files to KASU News that contained Harris’ redacted personnel file which highlighted a prior suspension for allegedly using excessive force, a complaint filed back in Jan. 2022 from a private citizen, and details of the Aug. 9 complaint that led to his termination.
Harris’ Hiring and Training
Harris’ personnel file showed that he was hired on May 13, 2019 as a police officer. On that day, he also signed the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics and Oath of Office.
On the Standards Checklist and the Initial Employment Report for the Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training, it showed that Harris did not receive basic training when he was hired. However, JPD Public Information Officer Sally Smith said that Harris did get trained in an in-house academy and became certified as an officer. Smith said that it’s common for new hires to not have training, but they have a procedure in place before they get sent to basic training.
“They will get a two week departmental policy review before heading off to a Law Enforcement Academy,” said Smith. “They do not hit the streets until they are certified. Harris was certified before he went through the FTO (Field Training) before patrolling the streets on his own.”
Records showed that Harris in 2022 not only received a promotion, but he also received his first documented complaint alleging harassment.
Promotion and Alleged Harassment
On Jan. 19, 2022, Perry Vann of Jonesboro, 63, filed a complaint alleging that he was harassed during a traffic stop the night before.
According to the citizen complaint form filed, Vann was leaving an apartment complex on Caraway Rd. when a police car pulled up behind him with lights flashing. He said that he pulled over into the Hong Kong restaurant parking lot when the officer screamed at him to put both of his hands out of his car. Vann said that he complied and when the officer approached him, he was told to get out of the car.
Vann said that he refused to get out of the car after the officer refused to tell him why he was getting pulled over. After much back-and-forth, Vann said “the officer” pulled a gun on him and said that he needed to search his car. Vann then asked to speak to “the officer’s” supervisor.
“The Officer” walked back to the patrol car while Vann spoke to another officer on the scene. Vann in his complaint called “the officer” unprofessional while trying to be a “super cop” and contends that he did nothing wrong to provoke such action. He also requested in the complaint to speak to Police Chief Rick Elliot. It should be noted that Vann did not identify Harris as “the officer” in the complaint form, but the complaint was included among other documents pertaining to Harris.
A couple of weeks later following the incident, Harris’ personnel file showed that on Feb. 1 he was promoted to K-9 handler. Months later, Harris received disciplinary action for being connected to another incident.
June 2022 Suspension for Excessive Use of Force
Jonesboro Police posted on Facebook back on July 19, 2022 that they had placed Harris on administrative leave pending an investigation following an incident at the Midnight Rodeo nightclub on July 10.
Harris was caught on camera slamming Nicholas Silva of Jonesboro, 21, to the ground. The altercation happened after Silva questioned why Harris was arresting another man, 21-year-old Blake Arnoult of Fayetteville.
Police later updated their post that Harris was placed on administrative leave for 22 hours. But, in the department’s Notice of Disciplinary Action document attached to Harris’ personnel file, it showed that Harris was given 10 hours of suspension on July 14 and another 10 hours on July 20, totaling 20 hours.
The final document in Harris’ personnel file reveals who filed a complaint of alleged use of excessive force that eventually led to his termination.
Deputy Files Complaint After Witnessing Use of Excessive Force
The final file in Harris personnel records was a complaint written by police Captain Stephen McDaniel, alleging use of excessive force witnessed by a sheriff’s deputy.
McDaniel wrote in the document dated Aug. 12, 2024 that he received a call at around 8:50 a.m. on Aug. 8 from Craighead County Captain Ron Richardson concerning an incident involving Harris witnessed by county sheriff’s deputy Chris Ditto.
Richardson said that Ditto witnessed Harris using excessive force on county jail inmate Billy Coram. Harris was assisting with capturing Coram who had escaped from a deputy’s custody while at St. Bernards Hospital. When Coram was captured, he was placed into Harris’ patrol car and Ditto followed them to the jail.
Surveillance video, later made public by the Jonesboro Police Department, showed that Coram attempted to strangle himself with a seatbelt. Harris and Ditto then pulled over and Ditto watched Harris repeatedly punch and elbow Coram.
McDaniel said that Richardson and Craighead County Investigator David Bailey reviewed the footage, as well as additional footage after Harris and Coram returned to the jail. McDaniel said the footage showed that Harris attempted to again strike Coram as they moved past each other. Jail staff were shown in the footage trying to hold back Harris while working to place Coram in a restraint chair.
The next day, McDaniel notified Elliot and Assistant Chief Lynn Waterworth of the incident. He said that Elliot terminated Harris at around 4 that evening.
Aftermath
The FBI Headquarters in Little Rock and Arkansas State Police are currently investigating Harris. During a town hall meeting conducted by the Craighead County chapter of the NAACP on Aug. 12, Elliot confirmed that Harris was also decertified, meaning that he will no longer be hired to work in law enforcement anywhere in the country.
