The homeless man who viciously attacked Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) in the elevator of her apartment complex was sentenced to 27 months in prison on Thursday.
Kendrid Hamlin, a 27-year-old homeless career criminal with a long rap sheet, was sentenced on Thursday to spend two years and three months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for attacking Craig and attacking police when they arrested him. He will also reportedly receive credit for time served since his arrest.
In February, Hamlin followed Craig into the elevator of her apartment building in Washington, D.C. — where he punched her in the face, grabbed her by the neck, and slammed her against a steel wall. Craig, who reported that Hamlin had been “acting erratically” in the building’s lobby prior to the incident, was able to escape after throwing her hot coffee at her attacker.
Prosecutors had demanded a stronger sentence for Hamlin in light of his “extraordinary criminal history” when he pleaded guilty to attacking Craig and the police officers who detained him. However, the judge did not agree with their request for a 39-month prison sentence and three years of supervised release.
Feds seek 3+ years prison for Kendrid Hamlin, in assault against Rep Angie Craig (D-MN), arguing "egregious circumstances of this offense: a woman beaten..in her own residence; inside an elevator.. punched in the face suffering bruising & a cut.. restrained from making an escape" pic.twitter.com/j5SWvIvfXu
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) November 11, 2023
According to court documents, Hamlin kicked one officer and bit a detective while he was being taken into custody.
Hamlin’s defense attorneys requested a more lenient sentence, asking for him to only spend a year and a day in prison along with inpatient treatment — citing his struggles with drug addiction, homelessness, and schizophrenia. In court, the defense attorneys read an apology statement from Hamlin to Craig and the officers.
U.S. District Judge James Boasberg claimed that much of Hamlin’s behavior could be attributed to a “very hard upbringing… compounded by very serious, unaddressed mental health” and drug-related issues — though he emphasized that the attack on Craig was “just the latest in a series of violent behavior,” The Washington Post reported.
Boasberg recommended that Hamlin serve out his sentence in a prison medical facility, while also requiring him to receive treatment for drug addiction and mental health upon release.
In her victim impact statement, Craig explained that she had suffered from bruising, a cut lip, and several days of soreness and discomfort following the attack. She also described her continued mental and emotional recovery since that day.
Craig has since moved out of the apartment building where the attack took place, citing security threats after her address was reported in the media. She also wrote in the statement that she and her staff have “received a flurry of additional targeted physical violence and death threats” in the aftermath of the attack.
This attack came amid a rise in crime in Washington, D.C., this year — including the carjacking of another lawmaker, Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), at gunpoint in October.
