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Jury Orders Jan. 6 Rioter to Pay $500,000 for Assault on Officer Who Died by Suicide

With wrongful-death claims dismissed by Judge Ana Reyes the verdict concentrates on civil liability for injuries Officer Jeffrey Smith suffered during the Capitol breach

Overview

  • The eight-member federal jury awarded $500,000 to Officer Jeffrey Smith’s widow and estate, including $380,000 in punitive damages and $120,000 in compensatory awards
  • U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes barred Erin Smith’s wrongful-death claim after finding no reasonable basis to link Walls-Kaufman’s actions to her husband’s suicide
  • Officer Smith’s family said he had no prior mental health history; a 2022 District of Columbia Police and Firefighters’ board determined his Jan. 6 injury was the sole and direct cause of his death
  • David Walls-Kaufman served a 60-day sentence after pleading guilty to a Capitol riot misdemeanor in 2023 and received a full pardon from President Trump in January 2025
  • The ruling sets a rare civil precedent holding a Jan. 6 participant financially accountable despite sweeping presidential pardons