WASHINGTON (AP) — Nine days after Metropolitan Police Officer Jeffrey Smith defended the U.S. Capitol against a mob of Trump supporters, he tragically took his own life while driving to work. Over four years later, Smith's widow, Erin Smith, is pursuing a wrongful death lawsuit against David Walls-Kaufman, a 69-year-old chiropractor who was among the rioters. She claims that Walls-Kaufman is responsible for her husband's suicide due to their altercation during the Capitol riots on January 6, 2021.
The trial for Erin Smith's lawsuit began almost six months after former President Donald Trump undermined the largest investigation in FBI history by granting pardons to nearly 1,600 individuals charged in relation to the Capitol attack. Nevertheless, Smith's legal pursuit remains active against Walls-Kaufman, who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor related to the January 6 event in January 2023. The civil trial commenced this week in Washington, D.C., and is expected to last approximately one week.
During her testimony, Erin Smith recounted the morning of January 15, 2021, when her husband left for work for the first time post-riot. She expressed her love for him and bid him farewell, unaware that within hours, police officers would deliver the devastating news of his suicide. Smith was found dead in his car from a self-inflicted gunshot wound using his service revolver.
According to the lawsuit, Erin claims that Walls-Kaufman assaulted her husband inside the Capitol, striking him with his own police baton. This incident allegedly caused both physical and psychological trauma that ultimately led to Smith's suicide. Prior to January 6, Smith had no history of mental health issues, but his demeanor reportedly changed after sustaining a concussion during the riots, as detailed by his wife and family members.
Walls-Kaufman refutes the allegations of assault, asserting that any injuries to Officer Smith occurred later in the day from another rioter who struck him with a pole. His defense attorney, Hughie Hunt, urged the jury to focus on the factual details of the case and separate emotions from the proceedings. He contended that "this is tragic, but that doesn’t place anything at the foot of my client."
Video footage from Smith's body camera reportedly captures the scuffle, with the Smith family’s legal representative, Richard Link, asserting that frame-by-frame analysis will indicate a baton strike that affected Smith's helmeted head. Erin Smith is seeking "some modicum of justice" for herself and in memory of her late husband, emphasizing the lasting impact of his death on her life.
Despite the police department medically clearing Smith for full duty following the incident, his struggles reportedly continued. Erin testified that her husband was in pain and anxious about returning to work the day he died, fearing subsequent unrest in the city with President Joe Biden's inauguration approaching. In tribute, she wore the same shoes from their wedding day during her testimony to honor his memory.
Additionally, Erin Smith has filed a lawsuit against another January 6 defendant, Taylor Taranto, who is accused of aiding Walls-Kaufman in evading law enforcement. Although Taranto's charges stemming from the Capitol riot were dismissed, he faced conviction for other offenses unrelated to January 6, which are not covered by the presidential pardon.
The aftermath of the Capitol riots saw over 100 law enforcement officers injured, with Officer Brian Sicknick collapsing and dying the following day after engaging with the rioters. A medical examination later indicated that his death resulted from natural causes. Similarly, another Capitol Police officer, Howard Liebengood, also took his own life post-riot, highlighting the profound psychological toll on law enforcement following the events of January 6.
