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Dem lawmaker points out problem with soft-on-crime policies that led to her attack: 'Before any justice was achieved'
Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.), who once employed a top staffer who supported the "defund the police" movement, spoke out Tuesday against the perils of not prosecuting repeat offenders of violent crimes.
Last week, Craig was violently attacked in the elevator of her Washington, D.C., apartment. She used her coffee to defend herself and, fortunately, was not seriously injured. Police later arrested Kendrid Hamlin for the attack.
What did Craig say?
Speaking with CBS News, Craig said her assault exemplifies a problem that too many Americans are familiar with: soft-on-crime policies.
"I got attacked by someone who the District of Columbia has not prosecuted fully over the course of almost a decade, over the course of 12 assaults before mine that morning," she said.
"We have to think about how in the world can we make sure we're not just letting criminals out?" she added, noting that in many instances, prosecutors dropped charges against Hamlin "before any justice was achieved at all."
"We have to get these repeat offenders off the streets," she went on to say. "We also have got to figure out how we get people the mental health and the addiction help that they need because these people are getting back out and they’re just recommitting the same crimes over and over and over again."
Rep. Angie Craig describes fighting off convicted criminal who allegedly punched her www.youtube.com
According to CBS News, Hamlin had a lengthy criminal record and was rarely prosecuted.
Not only did he allegedly assault two police officers when they arrested him — allegedly kicking one officer and biting a detective — but he had been arrested recently for a separate assault on police. He has also been arrested for shoplifting, breaking and entering, and pled guilty to indecent exposure among other crimes.
Craig, in fact, is already walking the walk.
Just hours after being attacked last week, she voted against the new D.C. criminal code that would significantly soften criminal penalties in the nation's capital.
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Man arrested for attacking Dem lawmaker recently released from jail after guilty plea for assaulting cop: Report
The man accused of brutally attacking Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) reportedly has a criminal history and was released from jail not long before last week's assault.
Craig was attacked last Thursday while riding the elevator at her Washington, D.C., apartment. The motive for the attack is not clear, but Craig later said that she used coffee to defend herself. Fortunately, she was not seriously injured in the attack.
What about the suspect?
On Friday, the Metropolitan Police Department announced the arrest of 26-year-old Kendrick Hamlin for the attack. He was charged with simple assault.
The Washington Free Beacon later obtained Hamlin's criminal record, which revealed he is "no stranger to the D.C. criminal justice system." In fact, just two months ago, Hamlin pled guilty to assaulting a police officer.
From the Free Beacon:
[Hamlin] was arrested last September on two charges of theft for stealing items from a Capitol Hill supermarket, which resulted in a three month saga of stints behind bars and several court appearances, records show. Court documents obtained by the Free Beacon show a man named Kendrid Hamlin [sic] also pled guilty to two counts of assaulting a police officer in December last year.
Though there are slight variations of his name in records, a spokesman for the D.C. Courts told the Free Beacon that the arrests were both of the same man. He was ultimately released from custody in December with all charges dropped following a plea agreement.
Records show that Hamlin, after his theft arrest, was released from jail without bail. But he failed to appear in court, so in November, the city issued a warrant for his arrest.
He was re-arrested at the end of November, but released in mid-December "when all charges were dropped against him as part of a plea agreement," the Free Beacon reported.
What about DC?
The shocking assault, and news that Hamlin had been recently arrested — and released — for other alleged crimes, underscores one of the major issues in the nation's capital right now.
Last week, the House voted to overturn a sweeping overhaul of the D.C. criminal code that the City Council approved last year. The plan shows criminals more leniency by, for example, lowering the minimum sentence for serious felonies, including firearm-related crimes, carjackings, and robberies.
More than 30 Democrats, including Craig, joined Republicans to overturn the new D.C. criminal code.
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Democrat who was assaulted in elevator says her 'morning coffee really saved the day'
Democratic Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota was assaulted in the elevator of her D.C. apartment building on Thursday.
Craig's chief of staff, Nick Coe, noted in a statement that the congresswoman had been "assaulted in the elevator of her apartment building in Washington DC" — Coe noted that she "defended herself from the attacker and suffered bruising, but is otherwise physically okay."
"Rep. Craig called 9-1-1 and the assailant fled the scene of the assault," Coe said. "There is no evidence that the incident was politically motivated."
\u201cStatement by Rep. Angie Craig's Chief of Staff:\u201d— Angie Craig (@Angie Craig) 1675965203
Reports indicate that a police report about the incident notes that Craig said she threw hot coffee at the assailant. A suspect has been arrested and charged with simple assault.
"My morning coffee really saved the day yesterday, but not exactly how I expected it to. On a serious note, I will also say that I was very, very lucky that I was not more injured – and I'll have more to say about that soon," Craig said in a statement on Friday. "I wanted to let everyone know that the outpouring of support from friends, constituents and colleagues has been overwhelming. From myself, Cheryl and our entire family, thank you."
“I remain deeply grateful to the law enforcement officers for their quick response and subsequent arrest of a suspect last night," she said in the statement. "I feel very fortunate to have escaped following the attack and be home in Minnesota today recovering."
Craig has served in the House since 2019.
\u201cStatement from Rep. Angie Craig:\u201d— Angie Craig (@Angie Craig) 1676064734
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