Iowa City man arrested for carrying sword in pedmall

Deandre Lemar Ronald Irby, 19, of Iowa City was arrested for having a  sword with a 26 inch long blade attached to his backpack while rollerblading in the pedestrian mall on Friday afternoon.

An officer doing patrols on bicycle observed Irby rollerblading in the pedestrian mall with the sword in a nylon sheath attached to his backpack. When the officer caught up to Irby, he was trying to hide the sword behind the dumpster, Iowa City Police Sergeant Denise Brotherton said.

When confronted, Irby allegedly told the officer that did not have a permit to carry a concealed weapon and that he “knew martial arts,” Brotherton said.

Irby then began to resist and fight against the officer. Irby was then tased by the officer in order to gain control, and was arrested soon after, Brotherton said.

The nineteen-year-old now faces charges of going armed with a knife blade greater than eight inches, carrying weapons into any park and interference with official acts.

Irby was being held at the Johnson County Jail on a $3,000 cash or surety bond on Tuesday afternoon.

Going armed with knife blade greater than eight inches is an aggravated misdemeanor punishable by up to two years in prison and a $6,250 fine.