A brutal attack on a Metro train has landed a Washington D.C. man behind bars for seven years. Michael Harrington, 43, was sentenced to 84 months in prison for stabbing a woman without provocation in September 2023.
Harrington pleaded guilty to assault with intent to kill in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, but did not have to admit to the facts of the case. The court allowed him to enter a plea pursuant to Alford v. North Carolina, 400 U.S. 25 (1970), due to evidence of drug and mental health issues.
On September 3, 2023, Harrington approached a woman on a Metro train approaching the Navy Yard-Ball Park Station and repeatedly stabbed her in her head and body. The victim, who sustained 12 stab wounds, was left bleeding on the train car. Police officers were called and took immediate life-saving steps to stop the bleeding before the victim was transported to the hospital in critical condition.
Harrington left the scene, but was later arrested after triggering a fire alarm at an apartment building in Arlington, Virginia. He was seen wielding a knife with dried blood on the blade, matching the description of the assailant. Harrington also admitted to having had a dispute with someone on the Metro earlier that night.
U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Michael Anzallo commended the work of those investigating the case, including the Metro Transit Police Department and the Arlington County Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald Chester.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Maribeth Raffinan ordered Harrington to serve three years of supervised release and pay $100 to the Superior Court’s Crime Victims Compensation Fund. The sentence brings justice to the victim, who was lucky to survive the brutal attack.
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Key Facts
- State: Washington DC
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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