2022: Albany Man Receives Sentence for Numerous Assaults

27-year-old Rahqwah Johnson from Albany has been sentenced to three concurrent six-year terms in State Prison for three assaults committed in 2022, according to the Albany County District Attorney’s office. Upon release, he will also have a three-year term of post-release supervision. Johnson pleaded guilty to three counts of second degree assault that he committed in July of the previous year.

The indictment mentioned that Johnson injured three different individuals in a span of three separate incidents that occurred in Albany. These instances of assault were investigated to have taken place around various areas like Dallius Street and Hudson Avenue, the corner of Grand Street and VanZandt Street, as well as Albany Memorial Hospital. Particularly, the event at the hospital involved Johnson assaulting a patient care technician who was providing him with medical aid.

In a gut-wrenching account of one of the incidents, victim Johanna Kutey recounted the horrible ordeal. She was just about to turn off her car ignition when she spotted Johnson charging towards her vehicle with a metal pipe in his hand. He forcefully opened the car door and instantly began assaulting her with the metal pipe. As she bled profusely and pleaded for him to stop, he forcefully pulled her out of the jeep and continued the brutal attack.

Assistant District Attorney Jessica Blain-Lewis commented on the issues noting that the defendant’s actions had hurt people on the dreadful day and caused serious, long-term, and crucially avoidable injuries. She criticized Johnson’s decision to consume synthetic marijuana and be in public while under its influence. She also noted that the decisions had culminated with the suffering of three innocent people.

Commenting on the outcome of the court proceedings, Blain-Lewis expressed a hope that the sentence pronounced by the court would bring some relief to the victims and their respective families, who had to undergo such a horrendous ordeal. She highlighted the fact that the defendant’s actions were the primary cause behind the infliction of unnecessary harm and distress upon the victims.