Jan. 6 Defendant Ordered to Pay $500K in Civil Case Despite Pardon
Jury Holds Chiropractor Liable for Assault on Officer Who Died by Suicide
A federal jury ordered David Walls-Kaufman, a 69-year-old Washington, D.C. chiropractor, to pay $500,000 to the family of Metropolitan Police Officer Jeffrey Smith, who died by suicide nine days after the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. The verdict confirms that President Trump’s pardon, issued this year, does not shield against civil lawsuits.
The jury awarded $380,000 in punitive damages and $60,000 in compensatory damages to Smith’s widow, Erin Smith, plus $60,000 to the officer’s estate for pain and suffering. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes dismissed a wrongful death claim, ruling that Walls-Kaufman’s actions did not cause a traumatic brain injury leading to Smith’s death.
Walls-Kaufman, who breached the Capitol, served 60 days for a misdemeanor before his pardon. Body camera footage showed him in a physical altercation with Smith, leading to the assault liability finding. Defense attorney Hughie Hunt called the verdict “shocking,” arguing the incident was brief, and Walls-Kaufman denied striking Smith.
Smith, 35, exhibited behavioral changes post-riot and died by suicide on January 15, 2021. In 2022, D.C. authorities classified his death as in the line of duty, citing riot-related injuries. Online investigators identified Walls-Kaufman from video evidence. Prosecutors declined felony charges, but the civil court’s lower proof standard led to the verdict. An appeal is under consideration.
Sources for this article: NY Daily News, CBS News, Associated Press, Washington Post, NBC News, Washington Post, NBC News, Huffington Post, CBS News.