WASHINGTON (DC News Now) -- A Metro Transit Police Department (MTPD) officer was stabbed in the face at the Navy Yard Metro Station on Tuesday afternoon, officials confirmed. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) said that at around 2:30 p.m., an MTPD officer stopped a suspe ct for not paying the Metro fare at the station. As the officer stopped the suspect, the person "immediately turned and assaulted the officer with a sharp metal object." The officer suffered lacerations and puncture wounds to their face. New DC hospital opens doors to its first patients Officers nearby were able to detain and arrest the suspect, also recovering the weapon used in the attack. The officer was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy was reportedly on his way to the station at the time to talk about transit safety when he learned about what happened. In a post on social media, he said what happened was "unacceptable." "Our officers [and] our people deserve to be treated better," he said. Duffy said he would be speaking with WMATA CEO Randy Clarke on Wednesday about ways to improve safety and cleanliness in the Metro system. ...read more read less