Dem lawmaker points out problem with soft-on-crime policies that led to her attack: 'Before any justice was achieved'

Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.), who once employed a top staffer who supported the "defund the police" movement, spoke out Tuesday against the perils of not prosecuting repeat offenders of violent crimes.

Last week, Craig was violently attacked in the elevator of her Washington, D.C., apartment. She used her coffee to defend herself and, fortunately, was not seriously injured. Police later arrested Kendrid Hamlin for the attack.

What did Craig say?

Speaking with CBS News, Craig said her assault exemplifies a problem that too many Americans are familiar with: soft-on-crime policies.

"I got attacked by someone who the District of Columbia has not prosecuted fully over the course of almost a decade, over the course of 12 assaults before mine that morning," she said.

"We have to think about how in the world can we make sure we're not just letting criminals out?" she added, noting that in many instances, prosecutors dropped charges against Hamlin "before any justice was achieved at all."

"We have to get these repeat offenders off the streets," she went on to say. "We also have got to figure out how we get people the mental health and the addiction help that they need because these people are getting back out and they’re just recommitting the same crimes over and over and over again."

Rep. Angie Craig describes fighting off convicted criminal who allegedly punched herwww.youtube.com

According to CBS News, Hamlin had a lengthy criminal record and was rarely prosecuted.

Not only did he allegedly assault two police officers when they arrested him — allegedly kicking one officer and biting a detective — but he had been arrested recently for a separate assault on police. He has also been arrested for shoplifting, breaking and entering, and pled guilty to indecent exposure among other crimes.

Craig, in fact, is already walking the walk.

Just hours after being attacked last week, she voted against the new D.C. criminal code that would significantly soften criminal penalties in the nation's capital.

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