Albany man gets six years in prison for three assaults

An Albany man was sentenced to six years in prison for attacking three people in 2022.

Rahqwah Johnson, 27, had pleaded guilty to three counts of assault for the July 14, 2022 incident. He assaulted a person in the area of Dallius Street and Hudson Avenue by running toward his Jeep, running over to the driver’s side, opening the door, pulling him out of the vehicle and attacking him with the metal pipe.

The second attack involved Johnson striking a man carrying two gallons of paint who was walking up Vanzandt Street between Grand Street and Pearl Street. He was severely bleeding from a head wound. The victim spoke at sentencing that he still has nocturnal seizures and is depressed.

The third victim was a patient care technician who Johnson bit on the left arm while he was being treated.

“While biting me, the cops were tasing him. I remember thinking part of my arm, and/or leg had to be missing, due to the force of this bite,” the third victim said.

Johnson said that he was under the influence of synthetic marijuana at the time, prosecutors said.

“Despite claims to the contrary, this defendant made choices that hurt people on July 14, 2022. Rahqwah Johnson chose to smoke synthetic marijuana. He chose to be in public while under the influence of that drug,” said Assistant District Attorney Jessica Blain-Lewis in a statement. “Those choices ended with three people suffering from serious, long-term and ultimately avoidable injuries. I hope this sentence brings some relief to the victim and their families.”