Melvin Harris, a 41-year-old father from Phoenix, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter after a deadly confrontation he claims was driven by a father’s instinct to protect.
The incident dates back to August 2, 2018, at a QuikTrip convenience store near 19th and Dunlap Avenues. Harris had stopped by the store with his daughter, unaware that the night would take a tragic turn.
According to reports, when his daughter returned from the restroom, she was visibly shaken and told her father that a strange man had tried to force his way into her locked stall.
Enraged and determined to defend his child, Harris confronted the man outside the store. What followed was a brutal beating that left the alleged intruder with fatal injuries. Harris was initially charged with second-degree murder.
Now, nearly seven years later, Harris has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter, closing a chapter in a case that sparked debate over how far a parent should go to protect their child.
Security Escorted the Man Out — But That Wasn’t the End
After Harris’ daughter identified the man who had tried to force his way into her restroom stall, store security promptly escorted him out of the QuikTrip. But the situation didn’t end there.
Fueled by anger and fear for his daughter’s safety, Harris confronted a security guard and made his intentions clear: he was going to handle the matter himself.
Moments later, Harris tracked the man down in the parking lot—and what followed was a violent confrontation that ultimately turned deadly.
According to witnesses at the scene, Melvin Harris approached Leon Armstrong in the parking lot and punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground. Harris continued to strike him before walking away, leaving Armstrong badly injured.
Armstrong, who had reportedly tried to enter Harris’ daughter’s locked bathroom stall earlier that night, suffered a traumatic brain injury. Despite medical efforts, he died a few days later from his injuries.
Harris’ sentencing is scheduled for December 13.
