Man hit with prison sentence for attacking Representative Angie Craig
Washington DC - A man was sentenced to prison time for attacking Congresswoman Angie Craig in her apartment complex.
According to a press release from the Department of Justice, Chief US District Judge James E. Boasberg sentenced Kendrid Khalil Hamlin (26) was sentenced to 27 months in prison on Thursday and will serve 36 months of supervised release after his term.
On February 9 around 7 AM, Hamlin allegedly assaulted Craig in the elevator of her apartment complex. He also assaulted officers that attempted to apprehend him later that day.
Prior to Hamlin's sentencing, Craig reportedly filed a victim statement, recounting how he "grabbed my neck and slammed me into the steel wall" and "punched me in the face."
"While my physical recovery was days, my mental and emotional recovery has taken much longer and is ongoing," Craig wrote.
Hamlin's attorneys react to the sentencing
In June, Hamlin pled guilty to one count of assault on a member of Congress and two counts of assault on a law enforcement officer.
While prosecutors were seeking a 39-month sentence, Hamlin's attorneys fought for only a year, arguing that their client suffered severe mental health issues and was "off his medication, living in the streets, and struggling acutely with addiction" at the time of the incident. He was also allegedly not aware of who Craig was, or the fact that she is a member of Congress.
Hamlin's attorneys say they are "disappointed" in the length of the sentencing, but "we are hopeful that he will finally get the mental health treatment he has been seeking and desperately needs upon release."
Cover photo: IMAGO / ZUMA Wire