Lang
1/20/23
A transient has been arrested for allegedly fighting with police after he reportedly defecated on a downtown Iowa City sidewalk.
Iowa City Police received a report just before 10am Tuesday of a homeless subject threatening staff members from the Iowa City Public Library who were cleaning up the man’s feces from the sidewalk outside. Arriving officers say they gave 35-year-old Jonathan Mitchell 30 minutes to gather his things and leave the property after library staff requested a trespass warning. Officers were called back to the scene a half-hour later when Mitchell refused to leave. Police say Mitchell then slowly began packing his things, culminating with him throwing a glass bottle into the street.
Mitchell was arrested when he refused to retrieve the bottle, and allegedly tried pulling his hands away during handcuffing. A glass pipe with white residue was reportedly found in his pocket.
Mitchell is charged with Interference With Official Acts, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Trespassing and Littering. If convicted on all charges, he faces a maximum of 60 days in jail.
Mitchell has a lengthy criminal history, mostly involving fights under the Gilbert Street bridge over Ralston Creek. In one such case, he spent 12 days in jail after breaking his ex-girlfriend’s toe with a baseball bat.