Iowa City man accused of threatening 12-year-old at gunpoint

A 61-year-old Iowa City man was arrested over the weekend after police said he confronted, at gunpoint, a 12-year-old boy looking for lawn-mowing jobs and posed as an undercover police officer.

Kevin John Shannon faces six criminal charges, including felony first-degree robbery, and he's being held in the Johnson County Jail in lieu of a $50,000 cash-only bond.

According to a criminal complaint, the boy was soliciting neighbors for lawn-mowing jobs at 3:22 p.m. Sunday, when he approached Shannon's home at 1264 Dover St. Shannon, according to police, declined to have the boy mow his lawn, but he gave the child $10 anyway and told him he was an “undercover cop.”

As the boy continued talking with neighbors, he told police that Shannon approached him at the intersection of Wayne Avenue and Arthur Street, north of Mercer Park, and demanded the $10 back. The boy said that Shannon then pulled a handgun from his waistband, pointed it at him and said, “Give me my (expletive) money back,” according to the complaint.

Shannon also is accused of threatening to shoot the boy, police reported. The boy told police that he gave Shannon back the money and that he was afraid Shannon was going to shoot and kill him, according to the complaint.

Shannon is accused of driving 1999 GMC Sonoma pickup truck to find the boy, and the child told police that Shannon nearly was in a collision, according to the complaint. The boy told police that Shannon smelled strongly of alcohol.

Immediately after the confrontation, the boy ran to a trusted adult and authorities were called. The adult described the boy as “shaken up and scared” and Shannon as intoxicated, police reported.

Authorities were able to track down Shannon and the vehicle the boy had described, and the child positively identified Shannon as the man who had confronted him.

When interviewed by investigators at his home, Shannon admitted to retrieving money back from the boy and to having a gun when he confronted him, but he denied threatening the child, according to police.

While talking to police, the officers noticed that Shannon smelled strongly of alcohol, slurred and rambled and had blood-shot and watery eyes, according to the complaint. Shannon's blood alcohol content level tested at .220 a short time later, police reported.

In addition to the felony robbery charge, Shannon faces charges of drunken driving, public intoxication, impersonating a public official, first-degree harassment and displaying a deadly weapon.

Shannon does not have a significant criminal history in Iowa.