Man arrested after Minnesota congresswoman assaulted in DC apartment building, police say
By Karl de Vries and Clare Foran, CNN
Police have arrested and charged a man in connection with the assault of Rep. Angie Craig, who was attacked in the elevator of her apartment building in Washington, DC, Thursday morning, the DC Metropolitan Police Department said in a news release.
Kendrick Hamlin, also known as Hamlin Khalil Hamlin, was arrested and charged with simple assault, according to police, who said the 26-year-old has no fixed address.
It was not immediately clear whether Hamlin has legal representation.
The incident occurred around 7:10 a.m., and “when the victim defended themselves, the suspect fled the scene,” according to police.
According to a police report, Craig told authorities that her assailant had followed her into the elevator, punched her “with a closed fist” and grabbed her neck. She defended herself by “tossing her hot coffee” at him, the report stated.
The Minnesota congresswoman’s chief of staff, Nick Coe, said in a statement earlier Thursday that “Rep. Craig defended herself from the attacker and suffered bruising, but is otherwise physically okay.”
He added that the assailant fled the scene and there was “no evidence” that the incident was politically motivated.
The statement released by Coe said that the congresswoman called 911 and “is grateful to the DC Metropolitan Police Department for their quick response.”
It further stated that the congresswoman “asks for privacy at this time.”
Vice President Kamala Harris spoke with Craig earlier this afternoon, according to Craig’s office.
“The vice president called to check in on Rep. Craig and wish her well,” a source familiar with the call said. Harris told Craig to, “do what’s needed to take care of herself given the trauma.”
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries condemned the attack, saying in a statement that “the House Democratic Caucus family is horrified” by what happened. “We are all very grateful that she is safe and recovering, but appalled that this terrifying assault took place.”
Jeffries said that he has asked the House sergeant at arms and the US Capitol Police to work “to ensure that Angie and her family are safe while in our nation’s capital and at home in Minnesota.”
The incident comes at a time of heightened concern over the safety of lawmakers and their families in the wake of the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol as well as more recent events like the high-profile attack on former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband.
Craig was elected to the House of Representatives in 2018 after defeating Republican Rep. Jason Lewis.
In the 118th Congress, the congresswoman serves as a co-chairwoman of the Congressional Equality Caucus.
This story has been updated with additional developments.
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CNN’s Holmes Lybrand, Jack Forrest, Jasmine Wright and Lindy Royce contributed to this report.
