D.C. man has been indicted on multiple felony charges after an attack on a Metro Transit Police Sergeant in April. The U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Ferris Pirro, and Metro Transit Police Department (MTPD) Chief Michael Anzallo released a statement confirming the charges against Erik Schleehauf, 43, who is accused of assaulting a police officer while armed, assault with a deadly weapon, and assault with significant bodily injury.
Details coming out of the indictment, obtained by SFist, reveal that the incident occurred at the bustling Navy Yard-Ballpark Metro Station. On April 15, around 2:26 p.m., Schleehauf attempted to dodge his fare by hopping over the fare machine. When approached by the MTPD Sergeant, he allegedly became confrontational, refusing to show identification and trying to exit the station.
The altercation escalated when the officer deployed OC spray in an effort to subdue Schleehauf, who in response, reportedly stabbed the officer in the face with a sharpened, pointed tool. While the injuries sustained by the Sergeant were non-life-threatening, they did require medical attention at a local hospital.
The case, spearheaded by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nickolas Reck, is now moving forward with Schleehauf having been indicted by a grand jury on June 25. His trial is slated to commence on July 22, according to a statement from the Department of Justice. The investigation by the MTPD is ongoing, assuring that all angles are thoroughly examined in what appears to be a clear-cut assault case.
As with all indictments, they serve merely as formal accusations. Erik Schleehauf, like anyone charged with a crime, is presumed innocent until, or unless proven guilty in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt.
