Kendrick Hamlin: Homeless man who ASSAULTED Rep Angie Craig in elevator arrested
WASHINGTON, DC: Washington DC police have reportedly arrested a 26-year-old homeless man for allegedly punching and choking democrat Rep Angie Craig in the elevator of her apartment building in Washington, DC, on Thursday, February 9, at around 7.15 am. The man identified as Kendrick Hamlin was arrested and charged with simple assault counts over the attack on Craig, the Metropolitan Police Department said in a press release Thursday night.
Hamlin was allegedly “acting erratic” in the lobby of the building before he entered the elevator with Craig and assaulted her. The suspect did push-ups inside the elevator and then punched the 50-year-old Congresswoman before grabbing her by the neck, according to the New York Post.
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How Rep Craig saved herself?
The third-term member of the House saved herself by throwing her coffee at him. Reflecting on the attack, Craig’s chief of staff, Nick Coe, said, "There is no evidence that the incident was politically motivated. Rep. Craig defended herself from the attacker and suffered bruising, but is otherwise physically okay.” He also added that "Rep. Craig is grateful to the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department for their quick response and asks for privacy at this time."
Following Hamlin’s arrest, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) said he has spoken to Craig and she is “doing well” now. Walz added, “Angie is tough as nails — she immediately got back to work and voted on the House floor. I’m glad to have met with her this morning and hear she’s doing well.” Hours after the assault on Craig, the GOP-led House voted 250-173 to overturn a revamping of DC’s criminal code.
A rise in threats faced by Congress members
The attack on Craig came just months after the husband of the then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was assaulted by a man who told police his motive was political and that his intended target was the speaker. The assault took place on October 28, when Paul Pelosi was attacked by David DePape after he broke into their high-profile house. He reportedly attacked Paul with a hammer and left him with serve skull fractures.
DePape is currently being held at California's San Francisco County Jail on attempted murder-related charges. He entered a not-guilty plea. DePape is charged with kidnapping, attempted murder, and elder abuse in addition to kidnapping. The attacks on Craig and David came amid a concerning rise in the number of threats faced by the members of Congress. The Congress members have been facing increased threats since the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol. Capitol Police investigated nearly 10,000 threats to members last year, more than twice the number compared to four years ago, as per an NBC Washington report.