Fairfield man sentenced to 15 years for assaulting police officer with bat

A Fairfield man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for striking a police officer in the head with a baseball bat while the officer was attempting to arrest another subject.

Larry Allen Bell, 76, of Fairfield, was sentenced on Monday, Feb. 17 in Jefferson County District Court after being convicted of four charges: Count I, Going Armed with Intent – Class D felony; Count II, Interference with Official Acts – Class D felony; Count III, Willful Injury resulting in Bodily Injury – Class D felony; and Count IV, Assault on Persons in Certain Occupations with a Dangerous Weapon – Class D felony.

According to a news release from the Jefferson County Attorney’s Office, the charges against Bell stemmed from an incident in Fairfield on July 6, 2024. A Fairfield police officer was attempting to take another individual into custody pursuant to a court-issued arrest warrant.

“The Defendant [Bell] approached the officer from behind while carrying a small wooden baseball bat and struck the officer in the neck/head area while the officer was focused on arresting an unrelated individual,” the news release stated. “Evidence presented at trial indicated Bell attempted to strike the officer in the neck with the bat, but the blow was deflected by the officer’s ballistic vest and bounced up, hitting him in the head, causing injury. The officer was able to fight through the assault, removing the bat from Bell’s custody and eventually taking Bell into custody following the deployment of a conducted-energy device (Taser). During the altercation, the individual originally being arrested by the officer escaped custody and fled the scene. She was later apprehended and is presently in custody of an Iowa Department of Corrections prison facility.”

Bell, who was already in the custody of an Iowa Department of Corrections prison facility for unrelated criminal offenses at the time of his sentencing, offered an apology to the officer at his sentencing hearing Feb. 17, and the officer provided a statement to the Court regarding the appropriate sentence for Bell.

During sentencing argument, Jefferson County Attorney Chauncey Moulding argued that “Defendant’s actions were so violent and displayed such an utter disregard for the health and well being of the officer, that consecutive prison sentences must be imposed,” and noted that during trial, the Defendant testified that he regretted his actions, but was not sorry, according to the news release. The prosecutor argued that each count should be run consecutively, for a total of 20 years.

Following arguments, Chief District Court Judge Myron Gookin sentenced Bell to an indeterminate 5-year term of incarceration on each of the four counts, and ordered that Counts II, III, and IV run consecutive to each other, but concurrent to Count I, for a total sentence of 15 years.

In making this ruling, the Judge noted the Defendant’s significant past criminal history, the serious breach of public order, and fundamental lack of respect for the rule of law demonstrated by the Defendant in his assault on the officer, who was carrying out his lawful duties when struck by Bell, but also noted the fact that Defendant offered an apology to the officer.

Bell was also ordered to pay fines in the amount of $1,025 on each count, as well as a criminal surcharge, and a sentencing no-contact order with the officer was ordered.