William Woodson, a 26-year-old from Southeast Washington, D.C., has been indicted on multiple felony counts linked to the assault of a two-year old child. The indictment, handed down by a D.C. Superior Court grand jury, includes charges of first degree child cruelty and assault with significant bodily injury against a minor, in addition to another felony charge related to separate conduct against an adult on the same day. This information comes according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department, and detailed in an article by the Department of Justice.
The alleged incident took place on July 24, 2023, around 11:20 a.m. at the Mount Vernon Square metro station. It is claimed that Woodson, without any prior interaction or provocation, kicked a stranger’s two-year-old child down the escalator. He then quickly exited the station. The government's evidence, as outlined in police affidavits, articulates that the victim's mother, while carrying her injured child, followed Woodson out of the metro station to call 911 and provided a description to officials. Woodson is currently detained as the case continues to unfold.
Following the assault, responding officers from the Metropolitan Police Department apprehended Woodson a short distance away from the scene. Emergency medical services, noting the child's serious condition with bleeding from the head, advised immediate transport to Children’s Hospital. The young victim, who eventually lost consciousness during the transfer, was later diagnosed with a mild concussion and released from the hospital after approximately twelve hours, as detailed in a statement given by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Woodson's actions have placed him under the supervision of the law, his freedom to fully exist in the outside world forcibly interrupted while the judicial process plays out. The case against him is being pursued by Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Ballou and involves the investigative work of both the Metropolitan Police Department and the Metropolitan Transit Police Department.
