Man Armed With Axe, Knife Allegedly Ran After Woman at Iowa Casino

Posted on: April 6, 2021, 02:22h. 

Last updated on: June 30, 2021, 10:07h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More

Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

A 43-year-old East Moline, Ill. man was in custody Monday after allegedly chasing a woman inside and outside of an Iowa casino. Jeromy Anderson was armed with an axe and a knife during Sunday’s incident.

The episode took place around 8 am Sunday at Davenport’s Rhythm City Casino. Anderson was charged with going armed with intent, carrying a weapon, disorderly conduct, and domestic abuse – assault with intent or weapon, according to WHBF, an Illinois TV station.

Anderson was being held Monday in Iowa’s Scott County Jail. Bail was set at $8,000. He is scheduled to appear on April 29 in Scott County Courthouse.

The confrontation apparently began as an argument between Anderson and the unnamed woman. It ended as police arrived and took him into custody.

Anderson was allegedly holding the axe and shouting at the woman in the casino parking lot when police officers arrived, WHBF reported.

During the course of an altercation (with the woman) he retrieved an axe from a vehicle and chased her while brandishing the axe overhead in a threatening manner,” police said in an affidavit released to WHBF following the arrest.

During a search, officers said they also found a knife on Anderson with a 5.25-inch blade. It was held in a sheath on his belt.

There were several witnesses to the incident, police said. The event was also videotaped on surveillance cameras at the casino, police add.

Victim Requests Protection Order

It appears the woman avoided injuries. But she was fearful, police said. She asked for a protection order to be issued by a local court.

Her name was not released by police. It was unclear what led to the dispute between Anderson and the woman.

Rhythm City has a 32,000-square-foot gaming floor. It has both slot machines and table games. The gaming property is owned by Elite Casino Resorts. The land-based casino opened in 2016. Earlier, gaming took place on a riverboat. The Mississippi River runs through Davenport.

Iowa Casinos Reopened After COVID-Related Shuttering

Last year, Iowa’s commercial casinos were ordered closed because of coronavirus risk. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) ordered the state’s 19 commercial casinos to suspend operations on March 17, 2020.

On June 1, they were allowed to reopen. But casinos had to follow strict health and safety regulations.

Under the governor’s order, casinos could resume operations if they limited the number of players on the gaming floor to 50 percent of legal capacity. The number of gaming positions at slot machines and gaming tables was also cut in half.

Iowa is also home to three tribal casinos. They are the WinnaVegas Casino Resort in Sloan, Blackbird Bend Casino in Onawa, and Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel in Tama. Each voluntarily closed last year because of the pandemic.