The family of a Washington, D.C., police officer who was injured during the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, and ended up talking his own life, is suing the people that attacked him in federal court.
David Weber, attorney for the family of D.C. Police Officer Jeffrey Smith told The Washington Post on Friday a civil lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., against two individuals who are allegedly seen on a video assaulting Smith during the riot, knocking him unconscious.
A doctor's report included in the civil complaint, said that Smith suffered "a traumatic brain injury" during the melee, which led to Smith taking his own life days later.
Smith, 35, shot himself Jan. 15 in his Ford Mustang while driving on the George Washington Memorial Parkway a day after he was ordered back to work by the Police and Fire Clinic, the Post reported.
Smith was one of four law enforcement officers to kill themselves following the riot, including two fellow D.C. officers and a Capitol Police Officer.
Another Capitol Police Officer, Brian Sicknick, suffered two strokes following the attack and later died.
According to the Post report, the defendants in the suit were identified from the video when compared to social media posts through facial recognition software by the group "Deep State Dogs," which has used the software to identify people involved in the riot.
The Post did not publish the name of the one individual Weber said was identified, or the name of the second person believed to be involved because they could not independently verify the information, and the men had not been charged with any crimes by law enforcement.
Weber said he turned the names over to the D.C. police, who confirmed having at least one of the names Friday, the Post reported.
While the D.C. police are looking into the report, the FBI refused comment on the matter to the Post.
"Officer Smith's family has suffered terribly as they mourned amid uncertainty and doubt," Forrest Rogers, a spokesperson for Deep State Dogs told the Post.
According to Weber, a video of the attack on Smith shows him being hit with a "heavy object" like a crowbar or walking stick in the face while the officer had his face shield raised.
One of the men Weber said is involved in the attack on Smith was wearing motorcycle padding as "makeshift armor" during the riot, according to the Post.
A Capitol Police officer is seen dragging Smith out of the crowd to safety, the Post report said.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.