A Coon Rapids man was once again in court, facing new charges of seriously injuring another person by punching them. According to District Court records, 32-year-old Travis Jeffrey Barker, was sentenced Thursday on one count of assault causing bodily injury, a serious misdemeanor. He was ordered to serve 60 days in the Carroll County jail, with all but two days suspended and credit for time served. His sentence also included more than $1,000 in fines, surcharges and court costs plus an indeterminate amount for restitution. As a condition for a portion of Barker’s sentence being suspended, he was also placed on informal probation for one year with the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office. The charge stemmed from an incident on Dec. 19 of last year when Barker struck the victim in the face, causing bleeding and injuries requiring stitches. This is not the first time Barker has faced charges for using his fists to harm another. In October of 2011, Barker pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the death of his roommate, 28-year-old William Smith. A plea agreement reduced the charge from second-degree murder. It was reported that on Sept. 3, 2011, Barker punched Smith in the head so hard that it caused bleeding of his brain. Smith died the next day at a Des Moines hospital. Twenty-four-years-old at the time, Barker was sentenced to no more than five years in prison for that incident.
