D.C. Man Sentenced In Violent Attack On Rep. Angie Craig

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A Washington, D.C. man was sentenced on Thursday to 27 months in prison in the Feb. 9 attack on Rep. Angie Craig.

Kendrid Khalil Hamlin, 26, apologized to the Minnesota congresswoman and said he intends to get mental health and substance abuse treatment.

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg acknowledged Hamlin's rough upbringing and "frequently unaddressed" mental illness, but said that "some of this conduct has been extremely problematic."

In a victim impact statement, Craig wrote "While my physical recovery was days, my mental and emotional recovery has taken much longer and is ongoing." Craig subsequently faced death threats and was forced to move after public commentary about the attack, she added.

Craig was getting coffee in the lobby of her apartment building on the morning of Feb. 9 when she noticed Hamlin pacing, according to police.

Hamlin came into the elevator with Craig and said he needed to go to the bathroom and was coming into her apartment, investigators said.

When Craig said he couldn’t, Hamlin punched her in the side of her face and grabbed her neck, according to authorities. Craig was able to escape after throwing her cup of hot coffee over her shoulder at him, prosecutors said.

Hamlin has been criminally convicted numerous times before, including for assaulting a police officer, according to authorities. Craig’s chief of staff said there was no evidence the attack was politically motivated.

Reporting from the Associated Press was used in this story.