(Sac City, Iowa) – Sac County Sheriff Ken McClure reports a jailer and two Sac County Sheriff’s Deputies were assaulted last week while preventing the escape of a jail inmate. McClure said 36-year-old Artis Karazins, who was being held in the jail since May 31st on Criminal Mischief charges and leaving the scene of an accident, both in Lake View, was in the Jail holding cell. At around 3-p.m. June 4th, jail staff opened the 14-inch wide by 8-inch high food pass-through door to his cell (a standard procedure) to hand Karazins some paperwork. Karazins is seen on video surveillance grabbing the arm of a jail staff member and pulling her into the cell door. He released his grip on the jailer, but not before she suffered a bruise to her forearm.

Later that evening while serving meals, the same jailer is seen on video peeking through the cell window to see where Karazins was located in his cell. The inmate was laying on his bunk, naked. When the jailer opened the pass-through door to hand him a food tray, Karazins jumped-up from his bunk and was able to get his head and a shoulder through the pass-through door. When the Jailer called for assistance Karazins crawled out of the pass-through door before law enforcement could get to his cell. He was seen on video chasing the jailer down the steps to the exit to the booking area. The Jailer ran past two deputies, who were charged by Karazins. A physical altercation that took place between the inmate and deputies resulted in Karazins being subdued and placed in handcuffs. Additional law enforcement and Sac County EMS responded to the Jail.

Karazins was transported by EMS to Loring Hospital for evaluation. He was transported the following morning to the Woodbury County Jail. Sheriff McClure said Sac County “Jail staff followed protocol, and because of this, Karazins was not able to escape the building.” He said law enforcement’s presence in the building “most likely prevented further injury to [the] jailer in the stairwell, and prevented Karazins from leaving the building.”

The Sheriff said the incident is “Yet another reminder of the need to replace the 90-year-old, outdated [Sac County] Jail.” The incident also reflects past jail inspection reports, McClure said, “Which state that out jail is a safety hazard not only to the public but to staff and inmates as well.”