Violent Criminal Attacks Senior Olmsted County Jail Deputy

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Rochester, MN (KROC AM News) -  A Rochester man with a history of violent crimes is facing a new felony assault charge for attacking a detention deputy at the Olmsted County jail.

The deputy is 70-years-old.

Sheriff’s Capt Jim Schueller says the incident happened on Dec 12th when 32-year-old Joseph Martin hit another inmate with a food tray and began punching him. Schueller says when the 70-year-old deputy tried to break it up, Martin “turned him on him” and began punching him in the head. Another deputy came to his rescue.
The deputy who was assaulted was taken to St. Marys Hospital for treatment of head and other injuries. He missed work for a few days so he could recover.

Schueller says the deputy has worked in the detention center “since the 90s.”

Martin has been in jail since June after being arrested for assaulting two men at a bar in Dover, leaving both of them unconscious.

He pleaded guilty to two felony assault charges in that case on Dec. 20th. During the same hearing, he pleaded guilty to a felony domestic assault charge connected to a violent attack on his girlfriend in January. He is scheduled to be sentenced in both cases Monday.

Martin was also sentenced to 90 months in prison in 2014 for physically and sexually assaulting his girlfriend.