A federal jury has awarded $500,000 to the widow and estate of a Metropolitan Police officer who committed suicide just days after helping defend the U.S. Capitol from violent rioters on January 6, 2021.
From NBC News:
The eight-member jury ordered that man, 69-year-old chiropractor David Walls-Kaufman, to pay $380,000 in punitive damages and $60,000 in compensatory damages to Erin Smith for assaulting her husband, Metropolitan Police Officer Jeffrey Smith, inside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
They awarded an additional $60,000 to compensate Jeffrey Smith’s estate for his pain and suffering.
Jeffrey Smith was driving to work for the first time after the Capitol riot when he shot and killed himself with his service weapon. His family said he had no history of mental health problems before the Jan. 6 riot.
Erin Smith claims Walls-Kaufman struck her husband in the head with his own police baton, giving him a concussion and causing psychological and physical trauma that led to his suicide.
A federal jury on Monday awarded $500,000 to the widow and estate of a police officer who killed himself nine days after he helped defend the U.S. Capitol from a mob of rioters, including a man who scuffled with the officer during the attack. https://t.co/cIZhfCz2cM
— NBC News (@NBCNews) June 24, 2025
Discover more from The Randy Report
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.