Two accused of assaulting, threatening man with gun

CEDAR RAPIDS - Two Cedar Rapids men are charged with assault with a firearm after a physical altercation Wednesday in Cedar Rapids.

J'waun Brown, 19, and James Phillips, 17, allegedly assaulted a 31-year-old man with a handgun, according to a criminal complaint from the Linn County Attorney's Office.

Police were notified at 1:04 p.m. Wednesday by the man who claimed to be a victim of the incident that occurred in the 1600 block of A Avenue NE, said Cedar Rapids public safety spokesman Greg Buelow.

The man told police he was involved in a fight with the suspects, who were in possession of a firearm.

According to the criminal complaint, the suspects had attacked the man by 'pointing a handgun at him and then pistol-whipping him, causing bleeding injuries.”

Buelow said officers gathered suspect descriptions and located Phillips running in the 1700 block of B Avenue NE and then getting into a vehicle.

As officers were initiating a stop, Buelow said another man was walking toward the vehicle and was identified as Brown.

Police said they determined at that time Phillips and Brown were involved in the altercation.

Officers also discovered the suspects were in possession of a backpack containing four firearms, according to the criminal complaint.

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