Transient with lengthy criminal history arrested again after incident at Mercy Hospital
Lang
12/29/18
A local transient with a lengthy criminal history is back in jail after an incident at Mercy Hospital.
Iowa City Police were called to Mercy just before 5:30 Wednesday night after 50-year-old Gary Leon Duffel II allegedly became verbally abusive and threatening toward hospital staff. Employees told arriving officers that Duffel had shouted at them and grabbed them by the scrubs, and hospital security was forced to intervene.
Duffel showed multiple signs of intoxication, and allegedly fought with officers while being carried to a police car. He also defecated himself.
Duffel is charged with Public Intoxication and Interference with Official Acts.
Duffel has multiple previous Public Intoxication convictions. He made news earlier this year when he was arrested for cutting down the flag outside the Iowa City VFW hall.
In March of 2010 Duffel was arrested for urinating on the front porch of then-Iowa City City Councilor Mike Wright.
Duffel was arrested at The Nickelodeon on the Coralville Strip in January of that year after he took his clothes off and began yelling about his recent release from the Henry County Correctional Facility.
Duffel was convicted on Criminal Mischief charges in 2007 after he toppled the Irving Weber statue at the corner of Iowa Avenue and Linn Street, breaking off the arm and causing an estimated $12,000 in damages.
In 2014 Duffel was arrested after stealing a keg off of a beer truck parked at the Benton Street Delimart.
