Four charged after large Coralville brawl

CORALVILLE - Four people were arrested overnight for participating in a large brawl between two families.

Coralville Police Chief Shane Kron said officers were called for a report of a fight involving 10 people in the 2100 block of 10th Street Place around 10:30 p.m. However, responding officers said there were 30 people fighting and one person was carrying a large pipe.

The scrum was between two families, according to criminal complaints.

'I don't know what the dispute was about, but there was a dispute,” Kron said.

Kron said the fight dissipated at one point, but the melee started again and ballooned to 30-50 participants. A total of 31 officers from the Coralville, Iowa City, North Liberty and University of Iowa police departments, as well as the Johnson County Sheriff's Office, responded to the brawl, Kron said.

'We're fortunate to have that much backup across the county. ... We definitely needed it,” Kron said. 'That many officers there certainly helped quiet it down and disperse the people.”

Police were on the scene until 2:30 a.m. Thursday, Kron said.

'We were trying to interject some common sense last night, but it wasn't really taking” he said. 'That's what we did for four hours.”

Police said Joy P. Sanders, 27, was observed punching another woman in the face. She was stunned with a stun gun and taken into custody. Another woman, Peatrice Sanders, 34, was ordered to stay home while officers investigated the melee, but police said she continued to 'yell, scream and threaten other individuals.”

Qra-sawn T. Lloyd, 22, refused officers' orders to stay back from the fight and tried to continue fighting while an officer restrained him, police said. Lloyd was stunned with a stun gun and taken into custody.

Joy Sanders, Peatrice Sanders and Lloyd were all arrested and each face one count of participating in a riot, an aggravated misdemeanor. Lloyd also faces one count of interference with official acts and a fourth participant, Anthony Waller, 21, faces one count of disorderly conduct.

While several combatants are in jail, Kron said police are preparing for any flare ups in hostilities in the coming days.

'They told us it's not over,” he said. 'We'll continue to watch the area, patrol the area and watch them. ... When you don't really know what it's about, it's kind of hard to get to the point of stopping it. I'm certain some of the people involved don't even know what it's about.”

l Comments: (319) 398-8238; lee.hermiston@thegazette.com