Trump sued by two Capitol Police officers for inciting ‘wild’ insurrection
Two members of the United States Capitol Police who were on duty during the Jan. 6 riot sued Donald Trump, accusing him of inciting the violent mob that wounded dozens of officers.
The lawsuit, which was filed on Tuesday, comes after two Democratic members of Congress sued Trump for stoking the insurgency in a months-long attempt to overturn his election defeat to Joe Biden.
Officers James Blassingame and Sidney Hemby say demonstrators assaulted them with aerosol chemicals that burned their eyes, throats, and skin, like pepper spray and tear gas.
According to the lawsuit filed in federal court in Washington, the officers not only sustained physical injuries, but Blassingame has since been suffering from depression since the riot.
According to the lawsuit, Blassingame "is plagued by the recollection of being targeted, as well as the sensory impacts — the sights, sounds, smells, and even tastes of the attack linger close to the surface." “He feels guilty for not being able to support his colleagues who were being targeted at the same time, and for living where some did not.”
The officers are seeking undisclosed punitive damages on charges such as assisting in the assault and battery of another person and directing the infliction of emotional distress on another person.
The case is Blassingame v. Trump, 21-cv-00858, U.S. District Court, District of Columbia (Washington).
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