Local man faces several charges for assault, spitting on jailer

This May 2016 photo shows the Cole County Sheriff's Office and Jail in Jefferson City.
This May 2016 photo shows the Cole County Sheriff's Office and Jail in Jefferson City.

A Jefferson City man has been charged with a felony and two misdemeanor counts from allegedly spitting on and assaulting Cole County sheriff's officers and correctional personnel.

Mark E. Welty, 49, was charged Friday with the class E felony of endangering a correctional employee by attempting to cause the person to come in contact with bodily fluid - in this case, saliva.

Welty also was charged with two counts of fourth-degree assault, class A misdemeanors, for knowingly causing physical contact with special victims - two deputies.

Two Cole County deputies responded Wednesday to a call at about 7:04 p.m.to a residence in the 5400 block of Scherr Drive, "in reference to an unresponsive male lying on (the) driveway of the residence," according to the misdemeanor probable cause statement.

The man identified as Welty was lying in a puddle of saliva. The two deputies asked him why he was on the ground, and Welty allegedly used an expletive to tell them to go away.

EMS arrived at the scene, but Welty was still uncooperative when they attempted to speak to him. The deputies attempted to help the EMS staff get Welty to his feet, but he began "yelling and flailing his arms and legs."

Welty was handcuffed and placed in protective custody by one of the deputies, and he was transported to Capital Region Medical Center.

While officers attempted to restrain him for medical staff at the hospital, Welty allegedly kicked one deputy in the chest and knocked off the deputy's body camera while he was receiving a C.A.T. scan.

Welty was given a fit for confinement, and the deputies approached him to help him into a police car. Welty then allegedly kicked the other deputy in the chest with both feet, causing the deputy to fall back into a wall.

Although it's not part of the charges against him, the probable cause statement notes that while multiple medical staff members aided the deputies in restraining Welty after the second alleged kick, a medical staff member received an injury to one of her fingers.

Welty was brought to the Cole County Jail at about 9:52 p.m. and "was placed in the restraint chair at approximately (10:02 p.m.) due to his combative nature," according to the felony probable cause statement.

About four hours later at 1:51 a.m. Thursday, a sergeant and two jailers "went to (the) combative male bullpen to take Welty out of the restraint chair," but Welty "resisted attempts to control him" and allegedly spit on one of the jailers at about 1:59 a.m.

Camera footage showed the jailer Welty allegedly spit upon was controlling Welty's left arm as jail staff were applying full restraints. "Welty became increasingly combative and could be seen lunging his face toward (the jailer's) face as if to spit on him."

The jailer said Welty's spit "covered his right cheek and got in his right eye," despite Welty's wearing a "spit mask" at the time.

The jailer went to a hospital to be tested for communicable diseases.

Welty's bail is set at $5,000.