WASHINGTON — A Washington, D.C. man slashed in the face during an early morning attack near his home said he refuses to live in fear.
“Someone that would be doing something like this, perhaps they’ll get picked up for doing something worse in the future, that’s what concerns me,” says Ben Fishel, who is the grandson of the late CBS broadcaster Andy Rooney.
The attack happened Sunday, July 19, just before 2 a.m. Fishel says he had gone into a convenience store near his home near U Street when a male asked him to buy him some cigarettes. Fishel declined, but was followed as he walked home. There, Fishel says, he was attacked as he tried to unlock his front door.
“He pulled me off, choked me and cut me with what I thought was a box cutter,” Fishel says
Fishel suffered two cuts to the face and was treated at Howard University Hospital.
No arrests have been made.
The incident arrives as the city sees a spike in violent crime. This year homicides in the city are up 21 percent from last year.
Days before the incident, Fishel and co-workers had been discussing the brutal murder of Kevin Sutherland. The former congressional intern was stabbed to death on a Metro train on July 4. Jasper Spires, 18, was charged with first-degree murder.
Fishel, who is a congressional staffer, says he has seen more police officers in his neighborhood since the attack. He said that deterring future attacks may be the best bet in this case, since he didn’t get a good look at the person who attacked him.
His advice to others: be mindful and walk with a friend when out late at night.
