Iowa City bank robbed; suspect in custody

IOWA CITY - An Iowa City man is accused of robbing a bank with a plastic gun.

According to Iowa City police, officers were notified of a robbery in progress around 9:05 a.m. Tuesday at the Williams Street branch of US Bank. Police said officers were already in the area at the time of the call and encountered a man walking away from the bank. The man was later identified as 30-year-old Clifton R. Brinkmeyer.

Brinkmeyer - who was dressed in black and carrying a bag - refused to stop when an officer asked to speak with him. The officer got out of his car and approached Brinkmeyer. A search turned up a fake, plastic gun in his pocket, police said.

Police took Brinkmeyer to the Iowa City police station, where he refused to speak with investigators. However, eye witnesses and video evidence were used to identify Brinkmeyer as the man who robbed the bank, police said. He was arrested and faces one count of second-degree robbery, a Class C felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Police said further investigation into the bank robbery is ongoing.