ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW)
A habitual felon will spend at least two years in prison for an assault on a detention employee, the Buncombe County District Attorney’s Office said Friday.
Darrell Edward King II pleaded guilty to assault inflicting physical injury on a detention employee during the April 29 term of Buncombe County Superior Court, the district attorney’s office said in a news release Friday. King was sentenced to 28-46 months in the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction. He also admitted to having attained the status of habitual felon.
A Buncombe County Detention Facility officer was conducting his rounds on June 6, 2023, when he opened King’s cell door to check on him and King charged the cell door, shouldering it open, the news release said.
“King began striking the detention officer in the head repeatedly, bringing him to the ground. The assault continued for nearly 41 seconds,” according to the news release.
The officer suffered a concussion and a fractured nose with extensive bruising and swelling to his face and neck, the district attorney’s office said. The officer made a full recovery and returned to work.
North Carolina law provides for enhanced sentencing of habitual offenders. A person attains the status of habitual felon upon conviction of three prior felony offenses in separate non-overlapping adjudications, before committing a fourth felony offense. King had been convicted and sentenced for felony breaking and entering and felony larceny of a motor vehicle.