More than four years later, a D.C. jury has found a man who participated in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol liable for assaulting Metropolitan Police Officer Jeffrey Smith—but stopped short of holding him responsible for the officer’s death by suicide days later.
The ruling— ordering the Jan. 6 participant to pay $500,000— followed a civil trial brought by Erin Smith, the officer’s widow, who argued that her husband suffered a traumatic brain injury during the riot that led to severe depression and ultimately his death.
“Jeffrey Smith was an amazing person and great officer,” social media user Rae K. wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “The traumatic brain injury and delay in care were so tragic.”
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes, who presided over the proceedings, ruled that jurors would not decide whether the assault directly caused Smith’s suicide, citing concerns over their ability to evaluate such a complex medical and psychological question, according to reporting by the AP.
Reyes reportedly told the courtroom that it would be practical for both sides to resolve the case without further litigation, suggesting a settlement could prevent a costly and time-consuming appeal. Despite that, the jury did find the defendant, David Walls-Kaufman, responsible for the assault on Officer Smith, leaving open the possibility that Smith’s widow could receive financial damages.
Additional proceedings to determine any award are expected to continue this week, according to Law & Crime.
The case centers on the events of Jan. 6, 2021, when Officer Smith was struck in the face with what was described as a metal tactical cane wielded by Walls-Kaufman, a chiropractor from the D.C. area. Smith’s widow alleges that another rioter, Taylor Taranto, gave Walls-Kaufman the cane used in the assault.
Taranto is also named in the lawsuit, though the case against him is currently on hold due to unrelated criminal charges.
In court filings, Smith’s widow stated that her husband began to suffer severe emotional and psychological distress after the attack, and died by suicide nine days later using his service weapon.
During the trial, she described the last conversation she had with him, recalling that she told him she loved him and would see him after work. That was the last time they spoke, AP reported.
The civil complaint alleges that Walls-Kaufman was part of the mob that stormed the Capitol and that he struck Officer Smith while being escorted from the building. The complaint describes the weapon as a cane or possibly a crowbar.
Walls-Kaufman pleaded guilty to charges related to the insurrection and was sentenced to two months in prison in 2023, according to NBC News. He later received a pardon from Donald Trump at the start of Trump’s second term.
“The assailant was pardoned by Trump, but now he’s been ordered to pay $500,000 in civil damages to the young widow of the officer,” Tina Issa, an activist and writer from Chicago, wrote on X. “Some justice for these rogue insurrectionists.”
