Arizona man gets 8 years for killing man who tried to enter daughter’s bathroom stall

An Arizona man was sentenced to eight years in prison for beating a man to death outside a Phoenix convenience store in August 2018, KPNX reported.

Melvin Harris III, 41, of Phoenix, admitted he killed Leon Armstrong while protecting his daughter, who said the man attempted to enter her locked bathroom stall. The Arizona Republic reported. Under a deal with prosecutors, Harris agreed to plead guilty to a manslaughter charge in November, the newspaper reported.

According to court documents, Harris went to the convenience store to pick up his daughter and her friends, KPNX reported. Harris said Armstrong asked him for money in the parking lot, which he gave him. When Harris went into the store, his daughter said Armstrong had tried to enter her bathroom stall, the television station reported.

According to police documents, Harris “told a security guard he needed to take care of the situation, or (Harris) would do it himself.”

Witnesses said Harris punched Armstrong in the face and knocked him down, continuing to beat the man, the Republic reported.

Armstrong suffered a severe brain injury and died several days later, the newspaper reported.

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