A Tennessee man is accused of strangling and biting off a piece of the ear of a Memphis Police officer during a traffic stop on November 14.
Investigators say that at around 5:00 a.m., an officer saw Marcus Johnson traveling in a 2002 Ford F-150 with a female passenger.
The vehicle tags were registered to a different car when the officer looked them up.
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When the officer approached Johnson, the man threw a brown leather pouch on the ground.
As the officer attempted to apprehend Johnson, the man attacked and struck the policeman several times on the face and stomach.
According to WREG, Johnson reportedly removed the officer’s holster to allegedly access his firearm and Taser.
Johnson allegedly bit a piece of the officer’s right ear off and strangled the officer as he attempted to arrest him.
Johnson was eventually placed under arrest by the officer, who also found the leather pouch. Inside the pouch, the officer discovered Xanax, methamphetamine, ecstasy, fentanyl, and marijuana, according to reports that WREG obtained.
The officer and Johnson were both transported to a hospital, where they received medical attention.
The DA’s Office filed a motion to revoke Johnson’s bond—who also had other felony drug charges that stemmed from a 2022 case. The Judge temporarily revoked the bond pending a hearing.
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“When I saw how he had been a fugitive for about a year from a prior charge, I instructed our prosecutors to not only seek a high bond on the new charge, but to revoke bond outright. This defendant has already proved he can’t be trusted. I’m glad the judge agreed,” stated DA Steve Mulroy.
During his initial court proceeding, the state presented a compelling case, urging the judge to revoke the defendant’s bail on the 2022 case and increase the bond on the attempted murder charge involving the police officer from $75,000 to $500,000. T
The judge concurred with the state’s argument, resulting in the complete revocation of Johnson’s bond in the 2022 case and a substantial increase in bond for the new charges.
“This would be true even if the alleged conduct—in this case, biting off part of the ear of a police officer—weren’t so troubling, which it is,” commented DA Mulroy. The judge’s decision reflects a commitment to prioritizing public safety and ensuring that individuals facing serious charges are held accountable for their actions.
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