Jan. 6 Rioter Ordered to Pay $500K to Officer's Widow

A federal jury has ordered David Walls-Kaufman, a 69-year-old chiropractor involved in the January 6 Capitol attack, to pay $500,000 to the family of Metropolitan Police Officer Jeffrey Smith, who died by suicide nine days after the riot. The damages include $380,000 in punitive damages, $60,000 in compensatory damages to Smith’s widow, Erin Smith, and $60,000 to Smith’s estate for pain and suffering. Walls-Kaufman pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor related to the Capitol riot and served two months in jail, but was pardoned by President Trump upon his second term inauguration. Although Walls-Kaufman was not criminally charged with assault due to insufficient evidence, the civil lawsuit found that he assaulted Officer Smith by striking him in the head with his own baton, which contributed to Smith’s depression and eventual suicide. Walls-Kaufman has denied the allegations and described the verdict as "absolutely ridiculous," while his lawyer called the outcome "shocking." The jury’s decision marks a measure of justice for the officer’s widow, who has long sought accountability for her husband’s death following the January 6 attack.