Avon Park prison guard busted after alleged attack on woman during late

Lakeland, FL – Thursday — A corrections officer from Avon Park Correctional Institution was arrested early Thursday morning after a woman told deputies he hit her in the face during a heated argument at their shared Lakeland home.

Deputies from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office responded just before 1 a.m. to a domestic disturbance where the woman reported that 29-year-old Artavis Pierce struck her twice during an altercation. She was unclear whether Pierce used an open hand or a closed fist, but authorities documented visible injuries on her face.

Pierce, who works as a state corrections officer, was arrested without incident at the scene and booked on a battery domestic violence charge. His arrest brings increased scrutiny due to his role overseeing incarcerated individuals in a state-r