District Court Judge John Telleen set an Oct. 8 sentencing date for the Quad Cities man who now admits he chased his wife around with an axe at a Davenport casino.
Public defender Anthony Almquist, of Davenport, submitted a written guilty plea on behalf of 43-year-old Jeromy Lee Anderson, of East Moline, IL. Davenport police responded at 8:02 a.m. Easter Sunday to the Rhythm City Casino Resort for “a disturbance involving a male subject chasing a female subject with an axe.”
Anderson faced three charges for his hatchet hysterics:
- Going armed with intent — a Class D felony.
- First-offense domestic abuse assault while using or displaying a dangerous weapon — an aggravated misdemeanor.
- Carrying an illegal weapon (a knife with a blade exceeding 5 inches) — a serious misdemeanor.
The Scott County Attorney’s Office agreed to drop the knife charge and a related disorderly conduct charge as part of the Aug. 17 plea agreement. The court still has to sign off on the details, however. The judge will review a report on Anderson’s background before the sentencing hearing in October.
Assistant Scott County attorney Heather M. Fielder used criminal complaints to file formal charges on May 18.
Witnesses see casino axe chase unfold
Officer Robert Welch said multiple uninvolved people as well as surveillance cameras witnessed the casino axe altercation. His affidavit said Anderson “retrieved an axe from a vehicle and chased [his spouse] while brandishing the axe overhead in a threatening manner.”
The events unfolded in the Rhythm City parking lot as well as inside the casino:
“The defendant was still armed with the axe and aggressively yelling at the victim in the parking lot when officers arrived. The defendant’s behavior, yelling and violent actions in a public setting gave alarm to other citizens.”
Welch also said Anderson had a knife with a blade length measuring 5.25 inches in a sheath on his belt.
County attorney’s office seeks enhanced sentence
In another part of the plea agreement, prosecutors won’t ask the court to consider a more severe sentence for habitual offenders. Anderson has the following convictions in his past:
- Burglary for Aug. 14, 1997, acts in Rock Island County, IL.
- Possession of methamphetamine Sept. 25, 2020, in Rock Island County.
- Possession of a controlled substance, also Sept. 25, in Rock Island County.
Anderson faced up to five years in prison for domestic violence and going armed with intent charges. The court will likely hand down a reduced penalty since the sides agreed to a plea.
