An unruly stabbing defendant was sentenced to 72 months for his involvement in an attack on a transit officer before DC Superior Court Judge Robert Salerno on Nov. 10.
Erik Schleehauf, 43, was convicted of assault on a police officer while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, and assault with significant bodily injury for his involvement in a stabbing incident with a nail that occurred on April 15 at the Navy Yard Metro station on the 1100 block of New Jersey Avenue, SE.
According to court documents the officer was stabbed multiple times in the face with a five inch long nail that had been filed into a sharp point.
During sentencing, the prosecution asked for the defendant to receive 72 months, just shy of the maximum guideline, for assault on a police officer while armed.
The officer, who was the victim, was in court and appeared on a pre-recorded video that the prosecution displayed as a victim impact statement. The video included a testament to the emotional and physical damage he sustained from the incident. He also noted that he is an officer who takes the “protect and serve” portion of his job seriously and tries to approach anyone calmly to have a discourse before any situation escalates.
In the final portion of the video he stated he “has no respect” left for Schleehauf after he was attacked and was disrespectful to the victim during the trial by covering his ears. The victim deemed Schleehauf “violent” and a “coward” for attacking him over what would’ve amounted to a civil offense.
The prosecution argued the incident could have killed the victim and the defendant knowingly armed himself with a homemade weapon that he chose to conceal on on that day. The prosecution argued further that the sentence, for the sake of the community, needs to reflect this is a serious offense.
The defense for Schleehauf, Henry Druschel, asked for a sentence that meets the minimum guideline range for the crime, which was not specified in court. Druschel claimed that the defendant had a difficult future ahead of him and that despite what the prosecution and victim claim about the defendant, he is remorseful.
Druschel also claimed that the defendant has been focused on ending the struggle he has been facing since before the offense including losing his job.
Druschel finished by suggesting to the judge that the court has the power to make the defendant’s life more difficult in the future or to give him a chance at success after the time he serves.
Schleehauf then was given a chance to say anything he wished the court to hear before sentencing and stated “I regret everyone I ever knew” including his “friends and family” in the sentiment.
Judge Salerno noted that the defendant covered his ears for the victim impact statement, victim testimony in trial, and at a number of other points, which he continued doing during the final remarks of sentencing from Judge Salerno. The judge called it “the most disrespectful thing” he had seen over the course of the trial.
The defendant then stood up and started to yell at the judge about altered evidence during the trial and had to be forcefully restrained by the US Marshals in his seat before Judge Salerno threatened to have him removed from the courtroom entirely so sentencing could proceed.
Judge Salerno sentenced Schleehauf to 72 months for assault on a police officer while armed, 60 months for assault with a dangerous weapon, and 24 months for assault with significant bodily injury. The sentences will run concurrently and the defendant will get credit for time served.
In addition to the time served, Schleehauf will have three years of supervised release that will include a mental health observation, mental health treatment if needed, and a $100 payment to the Victims of Violent Crime fund. Judge Salerno ordered the payment to be taken out of his prison funds, which Druschel objected to.
Druschel argued Schleehauf would sustain increased hardship because of that and asked for it to be paid after he was released, to which the judge said “absolutely not.” Judge Salerno’s reasoning was that he had “no confidence” the defendant would pay it if it wasn’t ordered from him while in detention.
Schleehauf was escorted out of the courtroom by both Marshals holding his arms and shirt and the sentencing hearing was adjourned.
No further dates were set.
