Lang
2/18/25
A transient accused of masturbating in public, then assaulting an Iowa City Police officer, is now wanted for allegedly skipping a court date.
44-year-old Levi Nielsen had a case management conference scheduled for Monday at the Johnson County Courthouse. Online records show he failed to appear, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Multiple witnesses report seeing Nielsen masturbating with his shorts down while sitting on a curb along the 800 block of North Gilbert Street on the night of July 25th. Arriving officers say Nielsen refused to put his hands behind his back when asked and tried to walk away. Once Nielsen was finally placed into handcuffs, he allegedly kicked at and spit on the arresting officer. One officer suffered a scraped forearm and a bruised left knee.
Nielsen is charged with Indecent Exposure, Assault on Police Officers and Interference With Official Acts Causing Bodily Injury. If convicted on all counts, he faces a maximum of three years in jail.