The lawsuits claim the January 6 rioters were incited by Trump’s rhetoric and peddling of baseless conspiracy theories.
Former President Donald Trump is facing another two lawsuits filed by law enforcement officers who were present at the January 6 riots outside the United States Capitol.
According to the complaints, both of which were filed in federal court, Trump allegedly directed the attacks, which left the plaintiff officers physically injured and emotionally traumatized.
CNN reports that one of the lawsuits was filed by a U.S. Capitol Police officer, while the other was filed by two members of the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police.
At least six other lawsuits law enforcement-related lawsuits have already been filed against Donald Trump and his role in the riots.
The latest cases, however, accuse Trump of directly coordinating the assault, aiding and abetting assault and battery, and violating local Washington, D.C., laws prohibiting the incitement of riots and disorderly conduct.
The claims also cite provisions of the so-called “Ku Klux Klan Act,” which broadly protects Americans from political intimidation.
“On information and belief, Defendant Trump agreed and conspired with his followers to stage an attack on the Capitol to prevent Congress and Vice President Mike Pence, by force, intimidation, or threat, from discharging their duties or certifying the winners of the 2020 presidential election,” says the lawsuit filed by Capitol Police Officer Marcus Moore.
In his filing, Moore says that he temporarily went deaf after hearing rioters detonate “flashbang” grenades as they breached the Capitol building’s premises.
Moore also claims that, as he was posted in front of the House chamber doors, he was “crushed” against the wall by rioters.
Moore’s lawsuit states that “insurrectionists threw fire extinguishers, poles, and other objects, and struck the officers with their fists.” Moore says that he sustained physical injuries in the attacks, and continues to suffer from persistent tinnitus—or ringing in the ears—as well as depression.
Similarly, Metropolitan Police Officers Bobby Tabron and DeDivine K. Carter say they, too, were hurt in the riots. Tabron, for instance, broke his wrist and sustained a traumatic brain injury, which has lent to chronic insomnia and slurred speech.
Tabron alleges that he had to engage in hand-to-hand combat with Capitol rioters, who “called him a n***er and shouted at him that he’d be nothing without his badge.”
Carter was also beaten by rioters after he tried to assist another officer.
“For what felt like hours, Carter was struck, hit with poles, and crushed from every direction,” the lawsuit says.
All of the lawsuits specifically target Trump, saying the former president’s words and actions—both during and before the riots—suggest his culpability.
In the months preceding January 6, Trump had, for instance, repeatedly claimed that the election had been “stolen.”
While Trump’s claims have never been substantiated, his supporters outside the U.S. Capitol cited the “stolen” election as one reason for their presence and attempted insurrection.
“Officials warned Trump that his incendiary rhetoric about the election could cause injury or death, but he persisted,” Carter and Tabron’s lawsuit says.
“Many of the rioters cited Trump’s words and conduct as the inspiration for their violent actions,” it added.
Trump, meanwhile, has continued to downplay the insurrection, telling reporters that his supporters were “hugging and kissing police” and that “the real insurrection” happened on November 3, the day he lost the White House to sitting President Joe Biden.
Sources
Police officer lawsuits pile up against Trump over Jan. 6
Trump hit with two new lawsuits from police officers attacked by rioters on January 6
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