DC transit police officer stabbed at train station as Sec. Sean Duffy arrives to talk safety: 'Unacceptable'
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy unexpectedly came across a violent incident against a police officer in the middle of Washington, D.C., Tuesday afternoon.
In an X post, Duffy explained that he was walking to the Navy Yard Metro Station when his staff told him a Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) police officer had just been stabbed in the face. Duffy said he was about to talk about transit safety when he learned of the incident.
The WMATA later confirmed the incident to Fox News Digital, saying an officer was stabbed "with a sharp metal object" by a suspect who did not pay fare at the station.
"The officer sustained lacerations and puncture wounds to the face," a WMATA official said. "The suspect was detained by additional officers nearby. The suspect has been placed under arrest, and the weapon has been recovered."
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On social media, the Trump administration official described the incident as "horrible."
"My thoughts are with his family and we pray for his speedy recovery," Duffy wrote. "These acts of senseless violence are exactly why @USDOT is fighting to re-secure our transit systems and crack down on violent crime."
Duffy also said he planned to meet with the WMATA CEO to address the incident.
Duffy also shared photos of himself shaking hands with police officers and said the victim was in good spirits after the attack.
"Thankfully, the officer who was attacked was in good spirits after the incident," Duffy explained. "The @USDOT security detail was able to give him first aide [sic]. He said he gets bitten, beaten, and attacked almost everyday.
"My thanks go out to him and all the brave officers of @MetroTransitPD," he added. "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."
Duffy also posted a video of himself shortly after learning of the incident, appearing bewildered by the act of violence.
"I was gonna go down and talk to people right in the subway, talk about the safety and cleanliness," Duffy 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."