Man arrested after threatening to shoot Cedar Rapids bus passengers

Police arrested a Davenport man Saturday after he threatened to shoot passengers on a Cedar Rapids bus.

Edward L. Nelson, 45, is charged with public intoxication after officers responded just before 11 a.m. to the intersection of First Avenue West and 15th Street. Witnesses told police Nelson boarded city bus No. 10 from a stop near Westdale Mall.

Michael Young, 48, of Cedar Rapids, said Nelson sat down three seats in front of him and started talking to himself. After a while, he started pointing at the eight or nine passengers on the bus, Young said.

“He started pointing at people and said, ‘I'll shoot you, and I'll shoot you,'” Young said. “Then he pointed at me, which was a mistake.”

Young said passengers were scared and started moving to the back of the bus. As the bus kept moving, the driver used his radio to call police. Young noticed Nelson's hands were moving under his jacket, so he tackled Nelson and held him down for about five minutes until police arrived.

“Today, you just can't take chances with people anymore,” Young said.

Police Sgt. Cristy Hamblin said no weapon was found, but Nelson was determined to be drunk. He was taken to the Linn County Jail.