11 hours ago
7
Widow of Jan. 6 serviceman relieved aft colony
Washington — Jeffrey Smith, 1 of the D.C. constabulary officers beaten and injured during the Capitol insurrection connected Jan. 6, 2021, was near traumatized and changed by the events of that day, his widow, Erin Smith, says.
"The antheral that near connected January 6 was not the antheral that came location successful the aboriginal hours of January 7," Smith told CBS News this week. "He was a antithetic person. His property changed. His demeanor changed. He was there, but the antheral that I knew was not successful the aforesaid body."
The 35-year-old Smith died by termination connected Jan. 15, 2021, arsenic helium was driving to enactment for the archetypal clip since the Capitol riot.
In 2022, Erin Smith filed a wrongful decease suit for battle and artillery against 69-year-old chiropractor David Walls-Kaufman, alleging that helium had assaulted her hubby during the Capitol riot.
In January 2023, Walls-Kaufman pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor national number of "parading, demonstrating and picketing successful a Capitol building" successful transportation with the insurrection. At the time, helium acknowledged that helium had "scuffled" with instrumentality enforcement, but did not look immoderate national battle charges successful the case.
He served 60 days successful situation connected that misdemeanor charge. He was 1 of hundreds of Capitol insurrectionists pardoned by President Trump successful January.
Despite the pardon, Smith's suit went to proceedings successful June. After a lengthy civilian proceedings and conscionable 2 hours of deliberations, a assemblage past week ordered Walls-Kaufman to wage her and her precocious husband's property $500,000, uncovering that Walls-Kaufman had assaulted Jeffrey Smith connected Jan. 6.
In a connection to CBS News, Walls-Kaufman denied striking Smith and called the suit and the verdict "sadistic."
"It felt similar a relief, a alleviation that each the warring was worthy it, everything that I had done was worthy it, and it proves that helium was injured," Smith said of the jury's decision.
Following her husband's death, Smith became a reluctant but impactful advocate. She successfully lobbied Congress to walk a bipartisan instrumentality successful 2022 to let immoderate constabulary deaths by termination to beryllium designated arsenic "official enactment of duty" deaths.
In March of that year, Washington's Police and Firefighters' Retirement and Relief Board officially ruled that Smith's decease was successful the enactment of duty. Body camera footage obtained by CBS News appeared to amusement that Jeffrey Smith was the people of aggregate assaults connected Jan. 6. Those images helped Erin Smith person her husband's designation changed.
Now, Smith is pressing the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial successful Washington to adhd her precocious husband's sanction to its partition and see him successful an honorary ceremonial adjacent May.
She is besides calling for the memorial to unfastened eligibility for others for whom it's been officially determined to person died by termination due to the fact that of injuries connected the job.
"Getting his sanction connected determination is not conscionable for me," Smith said. "It's besides for his family, his friends, his partner, the radical astatine the Metropolitan Police Department, his colleagues. And it's besides for different officers who person died by termination owed to injuries that they besides received astatine work."
If you oregon idiosyncratic you cognize is successful affectional distress oregon a suicidal crisis, you tin scope the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling oregon texting 988. You tin also chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline here.
For much accusation about mental wellness attraction resources and support, The National Alliance connected Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine tin beryllium reached Monday done Friday, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. ET, astatine 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) oregon email info@nami.org.
Scott MacFarlane is CBS News' Justice correspondent. He has covered Washington for 2 decades, earning 20 Emmy and Edward R. Murrow awards. His reporting has resulted straight successful the transition of 5 caller laws.
English (US) ·