Police: Man falls into burning couch during fight

An Iowa City man is facing a felony assault charge after police say he pushed another person who then fell into a burning couch during a fight last month.

Timothy A. Peiffer, 21, got into a fight in a courtyard on West Court Street in Iowa City at about 6 p.m. Nov. 4, according to Iowa City police complaints.

Police said Peiffer assaulted the victim by pushing him. Police said the victim fell onto a couch that someone had set on fire prior to the fight.

The victim suffered second- and third-degree burns on his lower back and buttocks, police said. Witnesses who saw the fight corroborated the victim's account, the complaints state.

Peiffer has been charged with assault causing serious injury, a class D felony punishable by up to five years in prison. He was booked into the Johnson County Jail on Friday morning.

Reach Stephen Gruber-Miller at 319-887-5407 or sgrubermil@press-citizen.com. Follow him on Twitter: @sgrubermiller.