SAC COUNTY, Iowa — An Iowa state senator was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor earlier this week for interfering with RAGBRAI, according to Sac County court documents.
Sen. Adrian Dickey, R-Jefferson, was allegedly part of a large group of people blocking the ride's route in Tama County, near Carnarvon, on Monday. The group had reportedly been stopped in the road since around 2:40 p.m., and law enforcement approached them at approximately 4:10 p.m.
Sac County Sheriff Sgt. Jonathan Meyer claimed that when he asked Dickey to move or be arrested, Dickey told the officer to arrest him. Meyer did.
The senator was taken into custody that afternoon, and a $300 bond was posted the same day.
Dickey and his attorney, Matthew Schultz, claim that the arrest was the product of a misunderstanding rather than obstruction.
"I am absolutely innocent of the charge that was placed against me and I look forward to the opportunity where I will clear my name," Dickey said in a Wednesday statement.
Schultz sent Local 5 a statement that reads in part:
"Senator Dickey and his team took an alternate route that led them to a place where several hundred people were blocking a road. Senator Dickey and his team were trying to get through the party of people and onto the bike trail, when a misunderstanding occurred between the Senator and a Sheriff’s Deputy. Senator Dickey is innocent and believes that the evidence will show that he was not part of the party blocking the road."
Dickey is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 8.