Jury orders man to pay $500K for assaulting police officer who killed himself after Capitol riot

[ad_1] WASHINGTON — A federal jury on Monday awarded $500,000 to the widow and property of a police officer who killed himself 9 days after he helped defend the U.S. Capitol from a mob of rioters, together with a person who scuffled with the officer through the assault.

The eight-member jury ordered that man, 69-year-old chiropractor David Partitions-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, contained in the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. They awarded an extra $60,000 to compensate Jeffrey Smith’s property for his ache and struggling.

The decide presiding over the civil trial dismissed Erin Smith’s wrongful-death declare in opposition to Partitions-Kaufman earlier than jurors started deliberating final week. U.S. District Choose Ana Reyes mentioned no cheap juror might conclude that Partitions-Kaufman’s actions have been able to inflicting a traumatic mind harm resulting in Smith’s dying.

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On Friday, the jury sided with Erin Smith and held Partitions-Kaufman chargeable for assaulting her 35-year-old husband — an encounter captured on the officer’s physique digicam.

“Erin is grateful to obtain some measure of justice,” mentioned David P. Weber, one in every of her attorneys.

Partitions-Kaufman mentioned the result of the trial is “completely ridiculous.”

“No crime occurred. I by no means struck the officer. I by no means supposed to strike the officer,” he mentioned. “I’m simply surprised.”

After the jury left the courtroom, Reyes inspired the events to confer and talk about a doable settlement to keep away from the time and expense of an attraction and for the sake of “finality.”

“You guys settle, you may transfer on together with your lives,” the decide mentioned.

Partitions-Kaufman’s legal professional, Hughie Hunt, described the jury’s award as “stunning.”

“We’re speaking a couple of three-second occasion,” he informed the decide.

“It’s not stunning, Mr. Hunt. Quite a lot of issues can occur in three seconds,” Reyes replied.

Jeffrey Smith was driving to work for the primary time after the Capitol riot when he shot and killed himself together with his service weapon. His household mentioned he had no historical past of psychological well being issues earlier than the Jan. 6 riot. Erin Smith claims Partitions-Kaufman struck her husband within the head together with his personal police baton, giving him a concussion and inflicting psychological and bodily trauma that led to his suicide.

Partitions-Kaufman, who lived a number of blocks from the Capitol, denied assaulting Smith. He says any accidents that the officer suffered on Jan. 6 occurred later within the day, when one other rioter threw a pole that struck Smith round his head.

The police division medically evaluated Smith and cleared him to return to full responsibility earlier than he killed himself. In 2022, the District of Columbia Police and Firefighters’ Retirement and Reduction Board decided that Smith was injured within the line of responsibility and the harm was the “sole and direct explanation for his dying,” in line with the lawsuit.

Partitions-Kaufman served a 60-day jail sentence after pleading responsible to a Capitol riot-related misdemeanor in January 2023, however he was pardoned in January. On his first day again within the White Home, President Donald Trump pardoned, commuted jail sentences or ordered the dismissal of circumstances for the entire practically 1,600 individuals charged within the assault.

Greater than 100 law-enforcement officers have been injured through the riot. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick collapsed and died a day after participating with the rioters. A health worker later decided he suffered a stroke and died of pure causes. Howard Liebengood, a Capitol police officer who responded to the riot, additionally died by suicide after the assault.