FORT DODGE, Iowa — A Colorado man is facing charges of assault for throwing water on Rep. Steve King, a controversial Republican U.S. Representative from Iowa.
Rep. King was having a group lunch at the Mineral City Mill and Grill restaurant in Fort Dodge, Iowa, on Friday when he was approached by a man who inquired about his identity.
According to a spokesperson from the Fort Dodge Police Department, after learning the man at the table was King, the suspect then threw a glass on water on King. It's unclear if the man said anything to the U.S. representative when the alleged assault took place.
The release states others at the table with King were also splashed and police were called.
“Based on witness information, it is believed Mr. King was specifically targeted due to his position as a United States Representative,” a spokesperson for the police department said in the release.
The suspect was identified as Blake Gibbins 26, of Lafayette, and was charged two counts of simple assault and one count of disorderly conduct. He was arrested and taken to a county jail without incident after police found him inside the restaurant.
King has been embroiled in controversy over the past several months for making racist remarks .
Most recently, the representative slammed Hurricane Katrina disaster victims by comparing their response to those of his Iowan constituents.
Earlier this month, King came under scrutiny for sharing a Facebook post that boasts red states would "win" a fight against blue states — and that they have "8 trillion bullets." He later removed the post.
In January, the Iowa Republican was stripped of his committee assignments following remarks he made to the New York Times that were sympathetic to white supremacy, though King said his comments were taken out of context.
