McPherson Square

‘Disgusting': Liquid Believed to Be Urine Poured on Woman at McPherson Square

Man arrested on simple assault charge

NBC Universal, Inc.

A man poured what is believed to be urine on a woman walking in McPherson Square Friday morning.

According to a disgusted witness, the woman was walking on a sidewalk near the intersection of 15th and K streets in Northwest D.C. before 10 a.m. when a man grabbed her from behind and poured the liquid on her.

“I was standing on the crosswalk waiting to cross over, and a woman on the opposite side started screaming,” Jack Rutman said.

“Grabbed her by the back of the dress and dumped a gallon of, I presume, his own urine violently on top of her,” he said.

You should not have to expect a violent encounter on your way to work in the morning.

Jack Rutman, witness

Rutman said he called 911 from a safe distance since he didn’t know if the man was armed.

“I had never seen anything on that level before,” he said. “It was truly shocking and disgusting.”

The woman told police she had urine all over her head and face, according to the police report. She was not seriously hurt.

The suspect, 55-year-old James Walker Jr., was arrested for simple assault and taken in for processing.

Rutman said he’s concerned about the safety of people walking near McPherson Square.

“If people are walking to work at 9 a.m. and are unsafe, they lose confidence in the city,” he said.

“You should not have to expect a violent encounter on your way to work in the morning,” Rutman said.

News4’s attempts to reach the victim were unsuccessful.

Contact Us