MASON CITY – A known Mason City felon who has been given multiple chances to stay on the streets by judges attempted to break out of Mercy Hospital while in guarded custody and injured a sheriff’s deputy and a nurse before meeting the wrong end of a taser.
Dale J. Lewis, age 42, was in the hospital on the fourth floor receiving treatment under the guard of deputy Kaitlin Schmitz, age 23. Lewis, a convicted felon know to carry concealed weapons like collapsible batons, was in custody and charged with felony forgery and fifth degree theft.
According to the Cerro Gordo County sheriff’s Office, Lewis attacked Schmitz, knocking her to the ground and attempted to subdue her. After a struggle, Lewis fled Schmitz and ran down the fourth floor hallway, striking a nurse and causing injury. As Lewis continued to flee, Schmitz caught up to Lewis and deployed an electronic taser strike to him. Lewis was then taken into custody without further incident.
Lewis now faces new charges of felony escape from custody, felony assault on a corrections officer, felony interference with official acts, serious misdemeanor assault with intent to cause serious injury and a charge by Mason City police of assault on a health care provider.
Lewis was taken to jail following the incident following treatment. Schmitz and the injured nurse also both received medical treatment.
According to an Iowa Department of Corrections official, Lewis had been convicted of a felony 3rd degree burglary charge in 2010. At sentencing, the honorable judge Colleen Weiland threw out a fine and a 5 year prison sentence and instead granted Lewis probation. Lewis’ probation was revoked July 19th, 2011 and he was then incarcerated at the Fort Dodge Correctional Facility until August 1, 2012, when he was paroled. Lewis failed to maintain contact with his parole officer and was placed on absconded status on November 1st, 2012. His whereabouts were unknown to authorities until Mason City police arrested him on January 10th, 2013. Police located Lewis at the 200 block of 5th Street NE on May 31st and arrested him on a number of warrants related to the aforementioned theft and forgery charges.
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Maybe this time the milksop judge will put him in jail where he belongs.
Man someone really needs to impeach this bleeding heart judge if you can call her one. this guys a piece of shit so throw away the key. I wonder how many guys she has gave 3,4,and 5 chance to? What a piece of work. Too bad the correctional officer didn’t shoot this POS.
There is no impeachment of judges in Iowa. There is a retention vote every 6 years. How do you know the judge was a “she”? He might have had a different judge when he appeared. There are six judges in this district. You should also know the judges don’t have unfettered discretion in sentencing.