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

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

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

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN
Updated 7:41 PM EDT, June 23, 2025

WASHINGTON (AP) — 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.

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.

The judge presiding over the civil trial dismissed Erin Smith’s wrongful-death claim against Walls-Kaufman before jurors began deliberating last week. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes said no reasonable juror could conclude that Walls-Kaufman’s actions were capable of causing a traumatic brain injury leading to Smith’s death.

-snip-

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/officer-jeffrey-smith-trump-capitol-riot-trial-8b9c2130923fbd17f0e3bc9c10b538f2