(Hopefully the meter maid didn’t give Spencer that shiner.) 

UFC lightweight Spencer Fisher was arrested in Bettendorf, Iowa on Tuesday for "interfering with an official act," which could mean anything from tearing up a parking ticket a meter maid was writing him to refusing to allow animal control to take his dog that had gotten loose from his yard.

He was released on $300 bond on his own recognizance.

Here’s the section of the Iowa criminal code that deals with the misdemeanor charge:

IOWA CODE 1999
719.1 Interference with Official Acts.
1. A person who … who knowingly resists or obstructs the service or execution by any authorized person of any civil or criminal process or order of any court, commits a serious misdemeanor. …
3. The terms “resist” and “obstruct,” as used in this section, do not include verbal harassment unless the verbal harassment is accompanied by a present ability and apparent intention to execute a verbal threat physically.


Here’s a further description of the charge from the Sioux City Police:

A person who knowingly resists or obstructs anyone known by the person to be a civilian city employee in the performance of any act which is within the scope of the lawful duty or authority of that employee commits a simple misdemeanor. However, this section shall not apply to interference with a peace officer, firefighter, or any authorized person serving or executing civil or criminal process or court order. This section does not apply if a person commits an interference with official acts as defined in this section and in so doing inflicts bodily injury or attempts to inflict serious bodily injury or displays a dangerous weapon or is armed with a firearm. The terms “resist” and “obstruct” as used in this section, do not include verbal harassment unless the verbal harassment is accompanied by a present ability and apparent intention to execute a verbal threat physically. (Ord. 99-8131; 90/T-8391)

So in a nutshell, Fisher didn’t assault anyone, didn’t threaten anyone and didn’t have an altercation of any kind with a police officer. He simply tried to prevent a city employee from doing his or her job.

The first thing that popped into my mind when I heard this was, "I wonder if Tim Sylvia was the officer he was preventing from doing his job?" but then I remembered Big Tim works in Illinois.

Now THAT would have been a story.

Tim’s fed up with being the brunt of Spencer’s jokes about wearing his new Powerhouse World Promotions heavyweight championship belt everywhere he goes, so Sylvia tries to have Fisher’s car towed and impounded from the parking lot before practice is over at Miletich’s and all hell breaks loose.

Bettendorf Police Department’s records department informed us this morning that we would have to apply for the arrest report in writing or in person.

Attempts by CagePotato to contact Fisher by telephone were unsuccessful as of time of writing, but we’ll be sure to update the story as more details become available.

Fisher is set to take on Kurt Warburton at UFC 120 on October 16 in London, England but a petty charge like this won’t affect his ability to travel.

*UPDATE* According to a new report from MMAJunkie, in following up on our tip about Fisher’s arrest with Spencer’s manager Mickey Dubberly, Dan Stupp says that the incident allegedly revolved around a parking violation.

Here’s Dubberly’s take on what happened as relayed to him by Fisher:

"Spencer went to pick up his daughters from school, and he doubled parked because there were no other parking spaces available," Dubberly stated in an email to MMAjunkie.com. "The police asked Spencer to move his car, and Spencer stated he would only be a second. The police asked him again to move his car, and Spencer kept proceeding to pick up his daughters from school."

He was arrested as he tried to get back in his vehicle with his daughters.

Dubberly says he’s confident the charge will be dropped.