A staffer in the office of U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) was stabbed in a popular neighborhood near Washington, D.C.’s government buildings and tourism hotspots on March 25.
The stabbing of Phillip Todd occurred around 5 p.m. on H Street NE, just blocks from the U.S. Capitol and the U.S. Supreme Court building.
Todd, a Senate Homeland Security Committee staffer, suffered injuries to the abdomen, skull, brain, and lungs.
Doctors are concerned he could suffer from seizures due to the violent attack in the coming months.
The alleged assailant, 42-year-old Glynn Neal, had just been released from a Maryland federal prison the day before the stabbing.
D.C. Superior Court records show that Glynn Neal was sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2011 for pandering and first-degree sex abuse charges. Neal had forced two women into prostitution.
D.C. Metro Police provided a short press release to The Dallas Express that announced their intention to charge Neal with assault with intent to kill (knife):
“Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s First District announce an arrest has been made in reference to an Assault with Intent to Kill (Knife) offense that occurred on Saturday, March 25, 2023, in the 1300 block of H Street, Northeast.”
“At approximately 5:17 p.m., members of the First District were dispatched to the listed location for the report of a stabbing. Upon arrival, members located an adult male stabbing victim. The victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment of life-threatening injuries. On Saturday, March 25, 2023, as a result of the detectives’ investigation, 42-year-old Glynn Neal, of Southeast D.C., was arrested and charged with Assault with Intent to Kill (Knife).”
The news fueled more disputes over Washington, D.C.’s “home rule” — legislation that devolved the district’s governing authority from Congress to an elected local council.
President Joe Biden recently signed a bill revoking some of D.C.’s self-governing authority after D.C.’s council voted to reduce penalties for carjacking.
Senator Paul, however, avoided weighing into the political fallout. Paul called for prayers and privacy in his own statement:
“This past weekend a member of my staff was brutally attacked in broad daylight in Washington, D.C. I ask you to join Kelley and me in praying for a speedy and complete recovery and thanking the first responders, hospital staff, and police for their diligent actions. We are relieved to hear the suspect has been arrested. At this time we would ask for privacy so everyone can focus on healing and recovery.”
The suspect is scheduled to have a preliminary hearing on April 6.
Dallas is facing an epidemic of violent crime similar to Washington, D.C.’s, with murder and non-negligent manslaughter up more than 29.8% at the time of writing, according to the City of Dallas Open Data crime analytics dashboard.