Family files lawsuit against person accused of attacking DC officer on Jan. 6

The family of a D.C. police officer who took his life in the weeks following the Jan. 6 insurrection is suing two suspects who allegedly attacked the officer during the storming of the Capitol. 

A lawsuit filed by David Weber, who is representing the family of the late Officer Jeffrey Smith, claims that one of the alleged suspects hit the officer with a cane or crowbar.

“Officer Smith was in a particularly vulnerable situation because his face shield was up (leaving his face and eyes exposed),” reads the lawsuit, which was filed with the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.

The lawsuit says that the two suspects “targeted Officer Smith because his visor was in the upright position, making him vulnerable to this brutal and vicious attack.”

Weber, who has contributed opinion columns to The Hill, gave the Metropolitan Police Department the names of the alleged suspects, who have not yet been charged with a crime as of Saturday, according to The Washington Post

“We are aware and reviewing the current information at this time. The FBI serves as the primary investigative agency regarding the incidents that occurred on January 6th, and we will continue to support their investigations into this matter,” a D.C. police spokesperson said in a statement to The Hill. 

An FBI spokesperson declined to comment when contacted by The Hill. 

The Post was not able to verify independently the identities of both alleged suspects. One alleged suspect declined to comment to the newspaper, which was unable to reach the second one.

According to the newspaper, Smith’s family is looking to have his death recognized as a line-of-duty death. A petition to have Smith’s death recognized as a line-of-duty death has been filed by their lawyer to D.C. Police and Firefighters Retirement and Relief Board.

Updated Monday at 9:13 a.m.