Jan. 6 Assault Caught on Cam: $500K Verdict

Tear Gas outside United States Capitol, Jan. 6, 2021. Photo by Tyler Merbler under CC BY 2.0.

It happened in seconds. A Capitol police officer, a rioter, and a scuffle amid a historic breach of American democracy. Nearly four years later, a widow has her day in court, and a jury has spoken.

David Walls-Kaufman, a 69-year-old chiropractor from Washington, D.C., has been ordered by a federal jury to pay $500,000 in damages to the widow and estate of Officer Jeffrey Smith. The officer died by suicide just nine days after the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, during which he was assaulted — an act now deemed civilly punishable, if not criminally causative.

The Case That Nearly Vanished

Officer Smith's widow, Erin Smith, filed a wrongful death lawsuit claiming that Walls-Kaufman struck her husband in the head with his own police baton during the riot. Though the judge dismissed the wrongful death component, ruling that no reasonable jury could directly link the assault to Smith's suicide, the jury still found Walls-Kaufman liable for the assault itself.

Captured on Smith's body cam, the moment of impact may have lasted just three seconds. But jurors were convinced it carried a lifetime of consequences, including physical and psychological trauma that they believe contributed to the officer's death.

Justice for Three Seconds of Violence

In their decision, the eight-member jury awarded $380,000 in punitive damages and $60,000 in compensatory damages to Erin Smith, plus an additional $60,000 to Officer Smith's estate for pain and suffering.

The verdict reflects a growing public and legal recognition of the invisible wounds suffered by law enforcement after traumatic events — and the high bar for accountability in cases involving suicide. Erin Smith's lawyers hailed the outcome as a long-awaited moment of validation. "Erin is grateful to receive some measure of justice," said her attorney, David P. Weber, as reported by CBS News.

A Death That Changed Everything

Officer Jeffrey Smith, 35, had no documented mental health issues before the riot. After being cleared by the police department to return to duty, he took his own life with his service weapon while driving to work for the first time since the attack.

His widow has long claimed that the assault — caught on camera and now validated by a jury — changed her husband. She continues to petition for his name to be added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial as a line-of-duty death.

In 2022, the D.C. Police and Firefighters' Retirement and Relief Board ruled that Smith's death was indeed caused by injuries sustained in the line of duty.

Defendant Denies Assault, Blames Another Rioter

Walls-Kaufman has maintained his innocence throughout, claiming he never struck the officer and suggesting a separate assailant may have thrown a pole that hit Smith on the head later that day. He called the jury's decision "absolutely ridiculous" and stated, "No crime happened. I never struck the officer. I never intended to strike the officer," according to CBS News.

Despite serving a 60-day sentence after pleading guilty to a separate misdemeanor related to the riot, Walls-Kaufman was pardoned by President Donald Trump on the first day of his second term.

The Broader Picture: Lingering Trauma of Jan. 6

Jeffrey Smith wasn't the only officer to die following the Capitol attack. Officer Brian Sicknick died of a stroke shortly after engaging with rioters, and Officer Howard Liebengood also died by suicide in the days after the insurrection.

More than 100 officers were injured that day, and 1,583 individuals have been arrested for riot-related offenses.

As lawsuits and criminal cases continue, this civil verdict underscores the complexity — and the continued fallout — from one of the darkest days in modern American history.

What Comes Next?

Judge Ana Reyes urged both sides to consider a settlement to avoid the strain of appeal. "You guys settle, you can move on with your lives," she said in court, according to the Guardian.

But for Erin Smith, there may never truly be moving on. Only standing up — for justice, for Jeffrey, and for the unseen scars left behind when the crowd dispersed and the cameras stopped rolling.

References: US Capitol rioter ordered to pay damages for assaulting cop who later died by suicide | US jury orders man to pay $500,000 to widow of officer he attacked during Capitol riot | Jury orders man to pay $500,000 for assaulting DC police officer who died by suicide after Capitol riot | Jan. 6 by the Numbers: 775 Arrested, $1.5M in Damage to Capitol | The High-Water Mark of the Jan. 6 Prosecutions