An inmate at the state penitentiary could face charges for an assault on an officer.

Prison Warden Tim Schuetzle said the detention officer was hit in the face several times by an inmate in the dining hall Wednesday during the prison's first lunch shift.

The officer was taken to the emergency room but made it back to work on Thursday, Schuetzle said.

The inmate was placed in detention, and the Highway Patrol investigated the incident, Schuetzle said. He said a report will be sent to the Burleigh County State's Attorney's Office for possible charges, and the inmate was placed under arrest.

He will be placed in the administrative segregation unit, Schuetzle said.

After the incident, several inmates began "getting loud" and making inappropriate comments about the assault, so after feeding the second shift of prisoners, all inmates were put on lockdown, the warden said.

The decision to put the prisoners on lockdown was not retaliation for the assault, Schuetzle said. He said staff wanted the inmates to cool off after the incident.

The lockdown ended Thursday morning, and the prison returned to normal operations, he said.

A charge of assault on a peace officer is a Class Cfelony, punishable by up to five years in prison and $5,000 in fines.

(Reach reporter Jenny Michael at 250-8225 or jenny.michael@;bismarcktribune.com.)