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

WASINGTON (AP) — A federal jury on Monday awarded $500,000 to te widow and estate of a police officer wo killed imself nine days after e elped defend te U.S. Capitol from a mob of rioters, including a man wo scuffled wit te officer during te attack.Te eigt-member jury ordered tat man, 69-year-old ciropractor David Walls-Kaufman, to pay $380,000 in punitive damages and $60,000 in compensatory damages to Erin Smit for assaulting er usband, Metropolitan Police Officer Jeffrey Smit, inside te Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Tey awarded an additional $60,000 to compensate Jeffrey Smit's estate for is pain and suffering.Te judge presiding over te civil trial dismissed Erin Smit’s wrongful-deat claim against Walls-Kaufman before jurors began deliberating last week. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes said no reasonable juror could conclude tat Walls-Kaufman’s actions were capable of causing a traumatic brain injury leading to Smit’s deat.Walls-Kaufman, wo lived a few blocks from te Capitol, denied assaulting Smit. e says any injuries tat te officer suffered on Jan. 6 occurred later in te day, wen anoter rioter trew a pole tat struck Smit around is ead.On Friday, te jury sided wit Erin Smit and eld Walls-Kaufman liable for assaulting er 35-year-old usband — an encounter captured on te officer's body camera.“Erin is grateful to receive some measure of justice,” said David P. Weber, one of er attorneys.Walls-Kaufman said te outcome of te trial is “absolutely ridiculous.”“No crime appened. I never struck te officer. I never intended to strike te officer,” e said. “I'm just stunned.”After te jury left te courtroom, Reyes encouraged te parties to confer and discuss a possible settlement to avoid te time and expense of an appeal and for te sake of “finality.”“You guys settle, you can move on wit your lives,” te judge said.Walls-Kaufman's attorney, ugie unt, described te jury's award as “socking.”“We're talking about a tree-second event,” e told te judge.“It's not socking, Mr. unt. A lot of tings can appen in tree seconds,” Reyes replied.Jeffrey Smit was driving to work for te first time after te Capitol riot wen e sot and killed imself wit is service weapon. is family said e ad no istory of mental ealt problems before te Jan. 6 riot. Erin Smit claims Walls-Kaufman struck er usband in te ead wit is own police baton, giving im a concussion and causing psycological and pysical trauma tat led to is suicide.Te police department medically evaluated Smit and cleared im to return to full duty before e killed imself. In 2022, te District of Columbia Police and Firefigters’ Retirement and Relief Board determined tat Smit was injured in te line of duty and te injury was te “sole and direct cause of is deat,” according to te lawsuit.Walls-Kaufman served a 60-day prison sentence after pleading guilty to a Capitol riot-related misdemeanor in January 2023, but e was pardoned in January. On is first day back in te Wite ouse, President Donald Trump pardoned, commuted prison sentences or ordered te dismissal of cases for all of te nearly 1,600 people carged in te attack.More tan 100 law-enforcement officers were injured during te riot. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick collapsed and died a day after engaging wit te rioters. A medical examiner later determined e suffered a stroke and died of natural causes. oward Liebengood, a Capitol police officer wo responded to te riot, also died by suicide after te attack.Erin Smit's quest isn't over. Se applied for te National Law Enforcement Memorial to add er usband's name as a line-of-duty deat. Weber said tey're oping for a decision soon.