U.S. Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) was attacked in an elevator inside her Washington, D.C., apartment building, according to a statement from her office on Thursday.
“Rep. Craig defended herself from the attacker and suffered bruising, but is otherwise physically okay,” Nick Coe, her chief of staff, said in a statement. There is “no evidence” the incident was politically motivated, he said, adding that the assailant fled the scene.
The incident took place at around 7:15 a.m. on Thursday morning inside the “elevator of her apartment building” in the District, according to Coe’s statement.
Craig then called 911 before the suspect fled the scene.
The congresswoman is “grateful to the Metropolitan DC Police Department for their quick response,” Coe added. She is also requesting privacy at this time.
Laura Cottrell, a spokesperson for Craig, told MPR News that Craig worked in the Capitol and voted Thursday. Other details were not provided.
“To give you a sense of how strong @AngieCraigMN is, she went straight to the Hill this morning and attended a meeting in the Senate with the Governor and me and several members of our delegation about legislation for the people of her district,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) wrote on Twitter in response to the incident.
Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) wrote that the alleged incident is “terrible” and praised Craig. “Violence is becoming all too common in our country, and it breaks my heart,” Clarke said on Twitter.
And House Minority Leader (D-N.Y.) Hakeem Jeffries told reporters that “we are all very grateful that she is safe and recovering but appalled that this terrifying assault took place.”
Statement by Rep. Angie Craig’s Chief of Staff: pic.twitter.com/YHXKJkuK42
— Angie Craig (@RepAngieCraig) February 9, 2023
Craig told Metropolitan Police that the alleged assailant was “acting erratic as if he was under the influence [of] an unknown substance,” said a public incident report that was provided by the Metropolitan Police Department (pdf). The lawmaker then told the individual “good morning” before entering the elevator, the report said.
After that, the suspect followed her to the elevator and “began to randomly do push ups” before he “punched her on the chin area of her face, and later grabbed her neck,” the report said. Craig responded by tossing hot coffee at the suspect, who escaped, the incident report stated.
The suspect’s description was not provided by either Craig’s office or the police department.
The Epoch Times has contacted the Metropolitan Police Department for additional comment.
Craig was elected to a third term during the November 2022 elections. Her congressional district encompasses parts of the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
This is a developing news story. Check back for more updates.
From The Epoch Times