A police officer from Arkansas has been fired after video evidence revealed him allegedly assaulting a handcuffed man in the rear of a patrol car.

On August 9, the Jonesboro Police Department announced via social media that it had received a serious complaint regarding the officer from the night before.

“After conducting an internal investigation into the incident, it was decided that the involved officer, Joseph Harris, would be terminated immediately,” the department stated.

Jonesboro is situated in northeast Arkansas, approximately 70 miles from Memphis, Tennessee.

The Jonesboro Police Department shared footage of the incident showing Harris reportedly assaulting a man who was handcuffed and positioned in the back of his patrol vehicle, appearing to wear a hospital gown.

According to Sally Smith, a public information officer with the Jonesboro Police Department, the FBI’s Little Rock division has initiated an investigation into the matter.

Footage depicts assault on restrained man by officer

The video released by the Jonesboro Police Department captures the man expressing to officers that he had ingested a bag of fentanyl the previous day and feared for his life if not returned to the hospital.

At one moment in the video, the man can be seen unfastening his seatbelt and lying down in the back seat. Shortly after, an officer opens the door and begins striking the man’s head with his fists and elbows multiple times.

Another unidentified officer checks on the man afterward, inquiring if he is okay, but the man fails to respond following the assault. The officer then carelessly closes the car door against the man’s feet.

The first officer reappears and appears to strike the man firmly in the chest with an object, eliciting pain and anguish from the man, after which he closes the door on the man’s head.

The vehicle then moves away while the man continues to moan and yell from the back seat.

Harris has a history of force-related penalties

This incident is not the first time Harris has faced disciplinary measures for his use of excessive force.

Two years prior, Harris received a 20-hour unpaid suspension and was mandated to undergo additional training for the use of excessive force, according to Smith.

Additionally, Harris was implicated in a wrongful death lawsuit filed in June, according to Smith.