Man sues City of Jonesboro, former officer after arrest leads to 'great injury'

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A man is suing a former Jonesboro Police Department (JPD) officer and the City of Jonesboro after an arrest on Aug. 8 led to "great injury, anxiety, stress, mental anguish, and pain and suffering."

The man, now identified as Billy Lee Coram, is suing the city and the former officer for the use of excessive force, tolerating the excessive force, disciplinary laxness, and failure to train after. 

Coram said that the former police officer, Joseph Harris, used excessive force when he repeatedly struck him while in the backseat of a police vehicle.

He also filed charges on Tuesday against the City of Jonesboro, the Jonesboro Police Chief Rick Elliott, and the Jonesboro Police Department for tolerating the excessive force, disciplinary laxness, and failure to train.

One day after the incident, the Jonesboro Police Department announced on social media that Harris was "terminated effective immediately."

Footage of the incident was also released, showing Coram agitated while pleading with officers to listen before wrapping a seat belt around his neck to choke himself.

The video shows Harris entering the backseat of the police vehicle, where he's seen punching and elbowing Coram repeatedly. After removing the seat belt, Harris allegedly slams the door with Coram's head hanging off the side of the seat.

When talking with authorities, Coram told officers that he ate fentanyl wrapped inside aluminum foil.

In the lawsuit, Coram claims Harris' excessive force violated his rights secured by the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution.

Additionally, Coram wants the City of Jonesboro, or Elliott, the supervisor, held accountable for what happened to him on Aug. 8.

He said the Jonesboro Police Department's failure to train was the "moving force behind the violations" of his constitutional rights and injuries.

Coram listed five driving factors in his decision to sue the City of Jonesboro:

1. Excessive force committed by JPD officers is ignored and/or tolerated
2. Untruthfulness and other deceptive practices are engaged to conceal JPS officer misconduct, including excessive force
3. JPD supervisors fail to administer discipline to address JPD officer misconduct appropriately
4. JPD supervisors fail to train JPD officers on the appropriate and lawful use of force in the field
5. JPD supervisors fail to train JPD officers to handle subjects in the field in need of medical treatment and/or crisis intervention

As a result, Coram claims his Fourth Amendment rights were violated. Therefore, he believes that the City of Jonesboro [and/or] Elliott are liable for damages.