JONESBORO, AR — (BrooklandNews.com) — Nov. 19, 2025 — A former Jonesboro Police Department officer pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges connected to a 2024 incident involving a detainee who arrived at the jail with injuries that did not match what the officer reported at the time.

Former officer Joseph Tucker Harris admitted to filing a false police report and third-degree battery after prosecutors said he assaulted detainee Billy Coram during a transport on Aug. 9, 2024.

Brookland News first reported on the case in 2024, after learning of the incident and filing a Freedom of Information Act request for videos and documents. That came as jail staff documented injuries to Coram’s head and face. Harris wrote in his report that Coram had been transported “with no further incident,” which prosecutors now say was false.

According to the prosecutor’s office, Coram attempted to hang himself with a seat belt while being transported. Harris pulled the vehicle over and struck Coram multiple times, including with the car door.

When Harris arrived at the jail and custody was handed over to detention officers, he attempted to strike Coram again. None of those actions appeared in his report.

Investigators later found inconsistencies between Harris’s report and witness statements, which played a key role in the case moving forward.

Harris was sentenced to 36 months of probation, 30 days in the Craighead County Detention Center and 90 days of home confinement.

Harris was booked into the Craighead County Detention Center at 9 a.m. on Tuesday.

Prosecutors said Harris had no prior criminal history, something state law requires the court to consider.

As part of the plea, Harris permanently surrendered his law-enforcement certification, meaning he will never work as a police officer in Arkansas again.

Chief Deputy Prosecutor Jessica Thomason said cases involving law enforcement use of force often bring strong emotions, but stressed the need for transparency.

“Our responsibility is to evaluate the evidence, follow the law, and pursue a fair and just result — regardless of the defendant’s position,” she said. “Accountability applies to everyone.”