Lang
4/22/25
An Iowa City man accused of a downtown shooting last summer has been given a deferred judgment.
That’s according to online court records in the case of 27-year-old Thomas Clay. Police say Clay shot at a victim outside the Nile Hookah Bar on South Van Buren Street at around 1:30am on July 7th. The victim was reportedly seen on video footage sprinting away from Clay, and dozens of patrons at the hookah bar evacuated immediately after hearing the shots fired.
Iowa City Police took Clay into custody inside the Fieldhouse bar on the Ped Mall just before 1:15am on July 14th. A search of his person reportedly turned up a Glock 22 .40 caliber pistol and a small amount of marijuana.
Authorities secured a search warrant for Clay’s South Van Buren Street home, and reportedly found over 50 grams of marijuana, along with packaging materials, a scale, and drug paraphernalia.
Clay was charged with Intimidation with a Dangerous Weapon, Going Armed with Intent, Assault While Displaying a Dangerous Weapon, a Controlled Substance Violation, Keeping Premises for Controlled Substances, Person Ineligible to Carry a Dangerous Weapon, Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Failure to Affix Drug Tax Stamp.
Clay reached a plea deal in March, and on Monday Judge Lars Anderson gave him a deferred judgment and three years of probation on the Intimidation with a Dangerous Weapon charge. All other counts were dismissed.
If convicted on all counts, Clay could have faced over 30 years in prison.