Coralville man arrested for assault and robbery incident

Hunter
8/29/19

A Coralville man was arrested Wednesday night for his role in an assault and robbery over the summer in Iowa City’s downtown.

Police say the incident occurred at around 12:45am on June 30th near the Fieldhouse Bar. A man was walking by the establishment and passed multiple unknown black males, who allegedly said something to him before grabbing his shoulders and neck. Once they had ahold of him, the victim says the men threatened to jump him if he tried anything. They then took $120 cash from the man’s pocket, tripped and threw him to the ground, and stole his backpack. The man said he experienced immediate and prolonged back pain from being thrown to the ground. Inside the backpack was a MacBook Air, valued at about $1200, and his prescription medication.

The man told officers he recognized one of the men from seeing him in the downtown area previously, and described what he was wearing. During the subsequent investigation, officers went out with a crowd gathered outside of Gabe’s. They brought the victim to the scene and he was able to identify one of the people who robbed and attacked him.

The man was identified as then-19-year-old Gregory Jackson of 10th Street in Coralville.

When speaking to the defendant, Jackson reportedly said, “the only person I hit was the light skinned, I mean, told to move, was the light skinned dude.”

A warrant was issued for Jackson’s arrest, and he was located and apprehended Wednesday night. He’s been charged with 2nd Degree Theft and 2nd Degree Robbery. If convicted on both charges, Jackson could be sentenced to a maximum of fifteen years.