Lang
9/29/19
A third arrest has been made in connection with a riot on Iowa City’s southeast side.
18-year-old Andre Smith Jr. of Hudson Avenue was booked into the Johnson County Jail just after 8:30 Saturday night. He was taken into custody near the corner of Taylor and Sandusky Drives, and police say he was in possession of THC edibles.
Smith, 18-year-old Quentin Hitchcock of Taylor Drive and 24-year-old Brandon Juniel of Taylor Drive are all accused of assaulting other subjects during a fight involving an estimated 30 people that broke out just before 7:45pm on July 21st.
Video recordings posted on social media and surveillance video show the violent assembly started at 1102 Hollywood Boulevard, then spilled out into the street.
Police say video shows Smith chasing a subject who was trying to flee the melee and assaulting him with the help of several other people, including punching and kicking the victim in the head while he is on the ground.
Video also shows Hitchcock and Juniel run up to the fight after it began and kick and punch a subject on the ground. The two then allegedly ran down the street and started striking another subject who was already being assaulted by several other people.
Hitchcock later admitted to police that he was involved in the fight.
Smith, Hitchcock and Juniel are each charged with Participating in a Riot. If convicted, they each face a maximum of two years in prison. Smith faces an additional charge of Possession of a Controlled Substance, which carries a maximum sentence of one year. Hitchcock faces an additional Interference with Official Acts charge which could add up to 30 days to his sentence.
Officers have been called to 1102 Hollywood Boulevard numerous times over the summer for as many as 100 subjects fighting with bats and shovels and as many as 15 people gambling on dice games. Hitchcock was arrested in connection with one of those dice games a few days after the riot. He’s also facing an October 14th sentencing on 1st Degree Burglary and Assault Causing Bodily Injury charges stemming from a February incident on Taylor Drive during which he entered a home without permission and punched a female resident.
Juniel has a lengthy criminal history involving previous weapons, assault and rioting charges.