The Man accused of assaulting Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.), who was in the elevator at her Washington home in February, pleaded guilty Thursday to the three charges against him: CNN reported.
Kendrid Hamlin faces up to 11 years in prison – up to 10 years for assaulting a member of Congress and up to six months each for the subsequent assault on two members of law enforcement his attack on Craig. Hamlin’s court hearing is scheduled for September 15th.
According to CNN’s report, on the morning of February 9, Hamlin approached Craig in an elevator and demanded that he use the bathroom in her apartment. When she refused his request, he reportedly blocked the elevator doors and slapped her in the face, the report said.
Craig managed to escape after she poured her hot coffee on him CBS News.
Prosecutors said Hamlin also reportedly assaulted police officers by biting one and kicking the other as he tried to escape, CNN added.
At the time of the incident, Craig’s office said there was no reason to believe the attack was politically motivated.
Hamlin, who was 26 at the time of the attack, may have been homeless and had had several, sometimes violent, encounters with the law for about a decade. CBS News reported. Hamlin’s attorney told CNN that he suffers from mental health issues.
Craig, who didn’t immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment on Thursday, is recovering from an ankle injury and a subsequent operation after a fall at her home.
Craig has been in the House of Representatives since 2018 when she made history as the first openly lesbian mother in Congress and the first LGBTQ person to represent Minnesota. Before entering politics, Craig worked as a reporter and as the director of global human resources and corporate relations for a major manufacturer in her state.