Hunter
03/17/21
A Coralville man was taken into custody Monday afternoon after allegedly swinging a knife at a man during a confrontation at the Robert A. Lee Recreation Center.
Police were dispatched to the Rec Center just before 4:30pm on reports of a fight involving a knife. Upon arrival, they came upon 54-year-old Thomas Preyear of 5th Street and another man involved in an altercation.
According to the victim and witnesses on scene, Preyear entered the gym, confronted the man, and pulled a knife while the two were face-to-face. When questioned, Preyear admitted that he intended to confront the man over some rumors he allegedly spread.
Witness accounts were corroborated by video surveillance, which shows Preyear swinging the knife in an aggressive manner toward the man. Police recovered the knife and charged Preyear with Assault while Displaying a Dangerous Weapon and Carrying Weapons. If convicted on both counts, he could be sentenced to up to four years in prison.