Two Capitol officers have sued former United States President, Donald Trump over “physical and emotional injuries” from January 6 attack, seeking at least $75,000 in damages each.
Officers James Blassingame and Sidney Hemby in a suit filed before the federal court in Washington, DC, said Trump incited the insurrection that left dozens of their fellow officers injured and one dead.
READ ALSO: Sanwo-Olu Launches Body Camera For LASTMA, Others To Monitor Activities From Control Room
The riot led to the death of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick and four other persons.
They said the riot was fomented by Trump and his campaign of misinformation as he sought to overturn the election victory of President Joe Biden.
The suit read: “The insurrectionists were spurred on by Trump’s conduct over many months in getting his followers to believe his false allegation that he was about to be forced out of the White House because of massive election fraud.”
“The insurrectionist mob, which Trump had inflamed, encouraged, incited, directed, and aided and abetted, forced its way over and past the plaintiffs and their fellow officers, pursuing and attacking them.”
Blassingame, a 17-year veteran of the Capitol police force, who is an African-American officer said he was also subjected to racist attacks during the assault on Congress from the Trump supporters.
The suit said Hemby, an 11-year officer, “normally has a calm demeanor but has struggled to manage the emotional fallout from being relentlessly attacked.”
The lawsuit accused Trump of directing and abetting assault and battery and emotional distress, incitement to riot, and violating public safety statutes.
The officers before the court are currently seeking a compensatory damages of minimum of $75,000 each and an unstated amount in punitive damages.
To date, more than 300 people have been charged over the breach, while the US authorities said they are still looking into Trump’s role in supporting the violence although federal charges against the former president are considered unlikely.
The US House of Representatives had earlier impeached Trump on the allegations of “incitement of insurrection” following the incident, but was later acquitted, mostly along party lines in a Senate trial.
© ControlTV 2021.
