Police: Missouri man tried to pull gun in bar

IOWA CITY - A Missouri man is accused of attempting to a pull a gun in a bar.

According to an Iowa City police criminal complaint, an officer was called to the Ped Mall in downtown Iowa City around 10:08 p.m. Wednesday for a report of a man with a gun at DC's bar. When the officer arrived on the scene, he saw the subject - later identified as 36-year-old Jason A. Babson, of Bowling Green, Mo. - being held down by bar staff. A black gun was on the ground next to him.

Bar staff told police they attempted to throw Babson out of the bar for being drunk and making comments about homosexuals. Babson was also observed putting a loaded magazine on the bar.

Police said when the staff started to remove Babson from the bar, he started to reach for the front of his pants. A gun was taken away from Babson during the struggle, police said. A loaded magazine was recovered from his pocket.

Sgt. Scott Gaarde praised the handling of the situation.

'The quick actions of the DC's bar staff, in addition to immediately contacting police, quickly mitigated the situation,” he said.

Babson appeared to be 'very intoxicated,” but refused a breath test. He was arrested and faces charges of carrying weapons, an aggravated misdemeanor; and public intoxication, a simple misdemeanor. If convicted, he could spend two years in prison.