U.S. Transportation Secretary SEAN DUFFY encountered a shocking violent incident involving a Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) police officer on Tuesday afternoon in Washington, D.C. The incident occurred as DUFFY was en route to the Navy Yard Metro Station, where he planned to discuss transit safety.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), DUFFY revealed that his staff informed him of the stabbing moments before he was set to address the public. According to WMATA officials, the officer was attacked with a sharp metal object by a suspect who had allegedly evaded paying the Metro fare. The suspect has been arrested and will face assault charges, WMATA confirmed to Fox News Digital.
The officer sustained lacerations and puncture wounds to the face but was reportedly in good spirits following the attack. Additional officers nearby swiftly detained the suspect, and the weapon was recovered. DUFFY expressed his deep concern for the officer’s well-being, stating, “My thoughts are with his family, and we pray for his speedy recovery.”
DUFFY emphasized the urgent need to address violence in public transit systems, stating, “These acts of senseless violence are exactly why @USDOT is fighting to re-secure our transit systems and crack down on violent crime.” He also shared images of himself interacting with police officers and commended their bravery. “My thanks go out to him and all the brave officers of @MetroTransitPD. They put their lives on the line each and every day to keep us safe. Violence against them cannot be tolerated, and we must do better,” he added.
In a video posted on social media, DUFFY appeared visibly shaken by the incident. “I was gonna go down and talk to people right in the subway, talk about the safety and cleanliness,” he explained. “But before I was going to go down, one of our Metro cops was stabbed in the face by someone down in the system. Again, unacceptable. Our officers, our people deserve to be treated better.”
DUFFY also announced plans to meet with WMATA leadership to address the incident and further discussions on enhancing transit safety.
[Video: Watch SEAN DUFFY‘s reaction to the incident]
Sources:
Fox News Digital: https://www.foxnews.com
WMATA Official Statement: https://www.wmata.com
USDOT X Post: https://x.com/USDOT