Jury orders man to pay $500,000 for assaulting D.C. police officer who died by suicide after Capitol riot
CBSJUN 24
Jury Awards $500K in Jan. 6 Suicide Case
Above: Pro-Trump supporters gather outside the Capitol building in Washington D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021. Image copyright: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu/Getty Images
The Spin
Left narrative
This verdict delivers long-overdue justice for Officer Smith's family after a traumatic assault that clearly contributed to his tragic death. The body camera footage speaks for itself — Walls-Kaufman's actions during those critical three seconds had devastating consequences. Smith had no history of poor mental health before Jan. 6, and the official determination that his line-of-duty injury was the direct cause of death validates what his widow has fought to prove.
Right narrative
This $500K judgment is completely unjustified for a brief three-second encounter where no intentional assault occurred. Walls-Kaufman never struck the officer and any injuries Smith suffered came from another rioter's pole later that day. The judge herself dismissed the wrongful-death claim, recognizing the lack of causation between the incident and Smith's suicide.