Police in Washington, DC, have arrested a homeless man who they say punched Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) and grabbed her by the neck inside the elevator of her apartment building.
Kendrick Hamlin, also known as Hamlin Khalil Hamlin, was charged with simple assault over the Thursday morning attack, the Metropolitan Police Department said in a press release Thursday night.
Hamlin, 26, was reportedly “acting erratic” in the lobby of Craig’s northeast DC building before he entered the elevator with her and allegedly assaulted the congresswoman, according to a police report.
Hamlin reportedly did push-ups inside the elevator before he punched Craig, 50, once in the chin and grabbed her neck, the report said, adding that the third-term member of the House defended herself by tossing hot coffee at the man.
“Rep. Craig defended herself from the attacker and suffered bruising, but is otherwise physically okay,” Craig’s chief of staff Nick Coe said in a statement Thursday.
“There is no evidence that the incident was politically motivated,” he added.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) said Thursday that he has spoken to Craig since the attack and that she is “doing well.”
“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,” Walz said.
Hours after the assault on Craig, the GOP-led House voted 250-173 to overturn a revamping of DC’s criminal code, which lowered the maximum penalties for burglary, carjacking and robbery. Craig joined 31 Democrats in voting for the measure.