US Congresswoman Angie Craig fights off attacker with hot coffee

A Democratic member of the US House of Representatives fought off an attacker in her Washington DC apartment building by pouring coffee on him, police say.

Minnesota Representative Angie Craig was assaulted in a lift on Thursday morning by a man who may have been under the influence of substances.

The incident does not appear to be politically motivated, officials say.

It comes amid a high number of threats to US lawmakers. Last year, Congress approved funding for more security.

Congresswoman Craig, who represents a region of Minnesota, was attacked around 07:15 local time (12:15GMT) on Thursday, according to a statement released by her Chief of Staff Nick Coe.

She "defended herself from the attacker and suffered bruising, but is otherwise physically okay", the statement says, adding that she called 911 emergency services and the "assailant fled the scene".

The statement by Mr Coe adds that "there is no evidence that the incident was politically motivated".

According to a public incident report from the Metropolitan Police Department, Mrs Craig told investigators that there was a person acting erratically and possibly under the influence of drugs in the lobby of her apartment building.

When she boarded the lift, the person followed her inside and "began to randomly do push ups", says the report.

The person also allegedly punched Mrs Craig in the chin and grabbed her neck.

She reportedly defended herself by throwing hot coffee at the attacker.

Lawmakers in Washington DC and Minnesota have condemned the attack.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said the caucus is "horrified" by the attack.

"We are all very grateful that she is safe and recovering, but appalled that this terrifying assault took place," he said in a statement.

Minnesota's Democratic Party chairman also released a statement saying he was "shocked and horrified" by the news.

"It is a relief to hear that the injuries sustained by Representative Craig are not dire, and I wish her a speedy recovery," said Chairman Ken Martin.

"I hope the assailant will be swiftly brought to justice," he added.

Elected in 2018, Mrs Craig, 50, serves Minnesota's 2nd District, an area south of the city of St Paul.

US Capitol Police, who are responsible for lawmakers' security on Capitol Hill, say they investigated around 7,500 threats to lawmakers in 2022.

That is down from 9,600 cases in 2021 and 8,600 in 2020.

A massive spending bill signed into law by President Joe Biden in December includes funding to boost security for lawmakers.