Mobile PD says former officer attempted suicide by encouraging an officer to shoot him

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) – A former officer with the Mobile Police Department is locked up in the Washington County Jail, and a current officer is on administrative duty status after firing his weapon during the overnight incident leading to the arrest.

Police said the former officer, Robert Harris, attempted suicide by encouraging an officer to shoot him.

The MPD said that about midnight Mobile Police Cpl. Raymond Grissett was driving home in his department-issued vehicle traveling north bound on Highway 43 near John Johnston Road in McIntosh. He observed a male subject, later identified as Harris, in the roadway and attempted to change lanes when the subject intentionally struck his vehicle.

Police said Grissett turned around to investigate and was assisted by a McIntosh officer who was responding to the location involving the same subject.

Harris was erratic and combative while making suicidal statements and refused officers repeated commands, police said. Harris continued to demand the officer to take his life and produced an object from behind his back as if it were a weapon, police said.

“It was determined and observed that Mr. Harris was agitated, combative, irate,” said Mobile Police Chief Paul Prine. “He refused to obey the officers’ repeated commands.”

Police said the McIntosh officer deployed his taser which had no effect. Grissett then fired his weapon twice but did not strike Harris.

Harris fled from the officers, hurling himself into an uninvolved passing vehicle, police said. Harris then gained access to his vehicle at which time he attempted to flee.

“For one to be erratic, irrational, amped up if you will, not obeying commands, I think it’s easy to say that he may have been impaired by something,” Prine said.

Officers pursued and deflected Harris’s intended direction which resulted in him colliding into the convenience store where he was taken into custody. Harris was transported to Washington County Jail and charged with disorderly conduct, criminal mischief and attempting to elude.

The MPD said Grissett is currently on administrative duty status while pending administrative investigation.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency responded to conduct the collision investigation while Mcintosh Police Department is the lead investigating agency.

The MPD said Robert Harris is no longer employed by the City of Mobile Police Department. He resigned on March 30 while under administrative and criminal investigation, police said.

The department said Harris resigned before the conclusion of his administrative investigation into allegations of conduct unbecoming and unlawful conduct in reference to contact with a juvenile.

Police said the administrative investigation is closed. The criminal investigation was presented to the Mobile County District Attorney’s Office for review of prosecution. The case(s) were ultimately no billed by a grand jury in April 2022, police said.

Washington County jail records show Harris is being held on $3,000 bond for each of the three charges.

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