Tennessee man accused of strangling police officer and biting off a piece of his ear

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (TCD) — A 43-year-old man with a criminal history faces charges after he allegedly bit part of a police officer’s ear off during a traffic stop this week.

According to the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office, the incident happened on Tuesday, Nov. 14. WREG-TV reports that at approximately 5 a.m., an officer noticed Marcus Johnson and a female passenger in a 2002 Ford F-150. When the officer looked up the vehicle tags, they were registered to another car.

According to WREG, Johnson tossed a brown leather pouch on the ground, and the officer went up to him. Johnson reportedly provided car information that did not verify his identity.

As the officer tried to apprehend Johnson, he allegedly strangled him and bit a piece of his right ear off. Johnson reportedly hit the police officer multiple times in the face and stomach area. WREG reports that Johnson even took off the officer’s holster to allegedly get to his gun and Taser.

The officer eventually took Johnson into custody and recovered the leather pouch. According to reports obtained by WREG, the officer found marijuana, fentanyl, methamphetamine, ecstasy, and Xanax inside the pouch.

Johnson and the officer were subsequently transported to a hospital for treatment.

Officials later learned that Johnson had been driving even though his license had been revoked, and he didn’t have proof of insurance.

The district attorney’s office said Johnson had other felony drug charges from a 2022 case, and they advocated for his bond to be revoked.

The judge ultimately revoked Johnson’s bond in the 2022 case and increased his bond to $500,000 for an attempted second-degree murder charge from this week’s alleged assault on the officer.

Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said in a statement, “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.”

Johnson remains held in the Shelby County Jail on multiple charges, including possession of a substance with intention to sell, criminal impersonation, attempted second-degree murder, resisting officials retention, driving while license suspended, violation of financial law, and violation of vehicle registration.

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