A Foley man has been legally charged after admitting to police he attacked 15B House of Rep. candidate Shane Mekeland at Jack & Jim’s in Duelm Oct. 12.

 

Richard Donald Schmit, 53, is charged with one felony count of assault in the third degree and two misdemeanor counts of assault in the fifth degree.

 

According to the complaint, Mekeland was sitting on a barstool at a bar talking with Schmit about politics. The complaint alleges during the talk, Schmit punched Mekeland after the candidate made comments about the middle class, which Mekeland denies.

 

Mekeland told the Citizen-Tribune he never used the words, “middle class” to Schmit.

 

Schmit was reported as saying, “you (expletive) don’t give a (expletive) about the middle class,” and punched Mekeland in the face near his left eye. Mekeland said after he was punched, he fell to the floor, hit his head and blacked out.

 

The barstool — which had a high back — and Mekeland toppled over backwards from the blow, sending them both to the floor.

 

Mekeland’s medical report showed he sustained a “closed-head injury, concussion and nasal injury”. He also had broken blood vessels in his eye.

 

According to the complaint filed with Benton County Sheriff’s Dept., a witness said Mekeland had “made a comment about eliminating the middle class” to which Schmit “got very upset and said, ‘I am the middle class,’” before smacking Mekeland.

 

Mekeland, again, told this newspaper he never mentioned, “middle class”.

 

Schmit was interviewed by police following the incident. He told police he had drank “six or seven bottles of beer” that night and that Mekeland had sat down next to him and “started campaigning.”

 

A bartender said Mekeland was starting on his second glass of beer when the incident occurred.

 

Schmit said he listened to Mekeland for about 30 minutes before Mekeland started “making comments about the middle class” to which he responded with a punch.

 

According to his own testimony, Schmit feels pretty bad about the whole thing. He’d worked in labor unions all his life, he told law enforcement. Something had just “snapped” in him when Mekeland started going off about the middle class. 

 

Schmit’s fist didn’t change the outcome of the midterms. Mekeland won Tuesday’s race with 59 percent of the vote.

 

Court records don’t list an attorney who could comment for Schmit. He’s due in court Nov. 15.