Deputy Intervenes in Officer's Use of Force
- A sheriff's deputy is captured on video trying to intervene in an officer's alleged use of force.
- The incident follows the release of a former officer's personnel file accused of beating a handcuffed suspect.
- The situation raises concerns about excessive force and police conduct.
JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) - A former Jonesboro police officer is facing serious allegations after a video surfaced showing a deputy attempting to intervene during an incident involving a handcuffed suspect. The footage captures Deputy Chris Ditto arriving at the scene, where he found four officers from the Jonesboro Police Department engaged with the suspect, identified as Billy Coram. Due to the lack of a caged transport unit, Ditto requested Officer Joseph Tucker Harris to transport Coram to the Craighead County Detention Center. In the video, Ditto recounts how Harris opened the back door of the police vehicle and began to punch Coram multiple times. Ditto, who was recording the incident, can be heard requesting medical assistance upon their arrival at the jail. He noted that throughout the transport, Coram remained handcuffed behind his back, and tensions escalated between him and Harris during the journey. Following the incident, Captain Ron Richardson was alerted to the allegations of excessive force. He reviewed the body camera footage with Deputy Bailey and subsequently contacted Captain Stephen McDaniel of the Jonesboro Police Department to discuss the findings. McDaniel requested all available video evidence from the jail and Ditto’s body camera for further investigation. The case is currently under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as the community watches closely for developments in this troubling situation involving law enforcement conduct.