Father charged in fatal beating of man who followed his daughter into restroom

When you take matters into your own hands.

PHOENIX (KPHO/KTVK/CNN) – An Arizona father faces a second-degree murder charge after he allegedly hit, stomped and kicked a man who tried to get into a bathroom stall his teenage daughter was using.

Melvin Harris, 40, is being held in jail on a $100,000 bond for allegedly killing a man police identified as Leon Leevon Armstrong at a Phoenix QuikTrip convenience store in early August.

Harris’ fiancee, Diana Jackson, wonders when she’ll see him again. She says despite the murder charge against him, Harris did nothing wrong.

“I’m not mad at him. I don’t feel like he did anything wrong. I love him. He did what he was supposed to do for our kid. You cannot tell someone they’re wrong for protecting their children,” Jackson said.

Jackson says Harris was picking up their 16-year-old daughter and two of her friends, who had all just gotten off work.

The girls asked to stop at the convenience store for a soda and a bathroom break.

During the break, Harris’ daughter says Armstrong came barging in to the restroom and shook her stall door, trying to get inside.

Court documents show Harris and his daughter let employees and the hired security guard know what happened. The father allegedly told the guard to “take care of the situation, or he would do it himself.”

Jackson believes Harris felt not enough was done.

“If you know there’s a known problem, why not fix it before it got that far?” she said.

According to witnesses, Harris drove his car to a gravel area near where Armstrong was standing. He then allegedly got out and confronted the man before punching him in the face then stomping and kicking him repeatedly after he fell to the ground.

Armstrong later died at the hospital. The police report states he suffered brain swelling, a nasal fracture and loss of oxygen.

“I would have done the same thing. I don’t feel bad at all for his actions. I feel bad that the man ended up dying in the process. I do,” Jackson said.

Police say Harris admitted to punching Armstrong but said the man swung at him first.

Armstrong had a criminal history of shoplifting, trespassing and obstructing police.

MY THOUGHTS

• Although that man forfeited his right to live by messing with another man’s child, still we must not take the law into own hands. In this situation however, Harris beat the man with his fists and feet. He did not use a weapon. Therefore the death is accidental and he has no business being in jail.
• For those of you who are quick to side with the law, let’s not forget George Zimmerman killed an unarmed teenager named Trayon Martin, and got away with murder and no jail time.
• Before you applaud someone going to jail and losing their freedom, understand that this is America. A place where you think you’re free…