RA arrested for assaulting his supervisor

A former student and residential adviser at the University of Memphis was arrested Wednesday for assaulting his supervisor.

The alleged attack took place at Richardson, where the student worked and lived on Nov. 22, according to the police report written by U of M Police Services and Memphis Police Department officers. However, the student was arrested 61 days after the incident.

The student, Daniel Parker, 23, allegedly attacked his supervisor after a meeting where Parker was fired. Parker withdrew from the U of M in December.

Parker could not be reached for comment. 

Apparently, Michael Courson, area coordinator at U of M’s Residence Life, met with Parker on the first floor of Richardson to talk about Parker’s job performance.

Courson did not want to comment on this story.

Brittney Riffe, assistant area coordinator, was also at the meeting, according to a MPD report written by Detective S. H. Ballard.  Riffe graduated from the U of M in fall 2015. She could not be reached for comment.

Courson fired Parker at this meeting. Parker lost his temper, he said according to the police report. 

Parker allegedly hit Courson’s head and arms several times while Courson covered his head with his arms, according to the police report. Campus police did not see any obvious injuries on the coordinator at the time, according to a report written by the responding U of M officers T. Quinn and J. Wilson. 

“We got the call that it was happening and we didn’t get there until after it happened,†Wilson said.

Shortly after the alleged attack, Officers Wilson and Quinn confronted Parker at his dorm room on the fourth floor of Richardson. He allegedly admitted to the assault, “saying he lost his temper,†according to a U of M police report. Campus police removed him from Richardson.

Parker is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 19. He has no bond set according to the Shelby County court website.

 Jonathan Capriel contributed to this story.