MOUNT PLEASANT – A Mason City sex offender once again demonstrated his violent tendencies when he beat up a security guard at a prison he is being held at.
On January 18, 2015 at approximately 6:40 AM, staff at the Mount Pleasant Correctional Facility activated an emergency alarm due to a disturbance in Living Unit 3B. A Correctional Officer was assaulted by offender Darrell Ballard, age 24, after the staff member directed Ballard to put down a food item that he had inappropriately received.
The assault by offender Ballard included several punches to the torso and to the facial area causing injuries to the staff member. The staff member was treated by on sight medical personal. The Department considers this incident a very serious assault although the injuries are not life threatening.
Darrell Ballard is serving a sex offense conviction from Cerro Gordo County and currently is serving time for revocation on his special sex offense sentence.
Following investigation, this incident will be referred to the Henry County Attorney’s Office for prosecution. Due to the pending investigation, the officer’s name or additional information is not available for public release at this time.
Ballard had been arrested on July 29 at the Beje Clark halfway house on an arrest warrant connected to his two convictions for indecent exposure in Cerro Gordo county in 2009 and 2010. Ballard had exposed himself to two females over the age of 18. He had been paroled back in July of 2012 after serving less than 2 years in an Iowa prison.
Ballard assaulted another inmate at the Cerro Gordo County Jail on September 28, 2014. He was charged with one count of serious assault and pleaded guilty in November. He received a 30 day jail sentence and was ordered to pay $577.78 in fines and court fees.
