Photo by voteprime.

Smith (Courtesy of Metro Transit Police)

A 19-year-old who was previously convicted of assaulting a 69-year-old Metro rider has been rearrested; this time he’s been charged with punching a transit police officer in the face, according to Metro Transit Police.

Back in April, police released video of two men arguing at the top of the escalator at the Eastern Market station. It shows a man, who police later identified as Elijah Jeremiah Smith, punching a second man several times, before the victim fell backward and the assailant walked away. Smith later pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge of simple assault.

More recently, Smith is accused of punching a plainclothes transit police officer.

Smith approached the officer at a bus stop on the 700 block of 7th Street NW around 8:30 p.m. last night, The Washington Post reported. The plainclothes transit officer was in the process of assisting another officer with a prisoner, when Smith allegedly began interfering. “You will not disrespect me before my God,” Smith told the pair before cursing and punching one officer, police said.

The struggle only ended after Smith was subdued with pepper spray and arrested, according to The Post. He has been charged with simple assault and assault on a police officer. Both Smith and the injured officer were treated by medics at the scene.

At the time of his rearrest Smith was in a release program and awaiting sentencing for his previous conviction.

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