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Steve King splasher sentenced for assault

-Messenger file photo by Hans Madsen
Blake Gibbins, of Lafayette, Colorado, makes his initial appearance in Webster County Magistrate Court in March 2019. Gibbins pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault and one count of disorderly stemming from an incident where he allegedly threw a glass of water at U.S. Rep. Steve King, R-Kiron, at Mineral City Bar & Grill, 2621 Fifth Ave. S. in Fort Dodge. Gibbons went on to face federal charges in the incident and was sentenced to two years probation.

The man who assaulted U.S. Rep. Steve King at a Fort Dodge restaurant was sentenced Thursday in federal court to two years of probation.

Blake Gibbins, 27, of Lafayette, Colorado, received the sentence after pleading guilty to one count of assaulting a member of Congress in September 2019.

Gibbins admitted in his plea hearing to approaching the table King sat at on March 22, 2019, in Mineral City Mill & Grill, 2621 Fifth Ave. S., where he intentionally threw a full glass of water on King.

“He also admitted he was wrong to throw water on Congressman King,” said the press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa.

In addition to the probation sentence, recommended by both parties, Gibbins was ordered to do 200 hours of community service in the first year of probation.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Duax and investigated by the FBI, Fort Dodge Police Department, and U.S. Capitol Police.

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