WASHINGTON — U.S. Capitol Police officers who were attacked and beaten during the Capitol riot sued former President Donald Trump, his allies and members of far-right extremist groups Thursday, accusing them of having intentionally sent a violent mob on Jan. 6 to disrupt the congressional certification of the election.
The suit in federal court in Washington alleges Trump “worked with white supremacists, violent extremist groups, and campaign supporters to violate the Ku Klux Klan Act, and commit acts of domestic terrorism in an unlawful effort to stay in power.”
The suit was filed on behalf of the seven officers by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. It names Trump, the Trump campaign, Trump ally Roger Stone and members of the extremist groups the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers who were present at the Capitol and in Washington on Jan. 6.
Two other similar cases have been filed in recent months by Democratic members of Congress. The suits allege that the actions of Trump and his allies led to the violence at the Capitol, which led to the deaths of five people, injured dozens of police officers, halted the certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s election as president and sent lawmakers running for their lives as rioters stormed into the seat of American democracy wielding bats, poles and other weapons.
A House committee has started in earnest to investigate what happened; it sent out requests Wednesday for documents from intelligence, law enforcement and other government agencies. Its largest request was made to the National Archive for information about Trump and his former team.
Trump accused the committee of violating “long-standing legal principles of privilege.” His team had no immediate comment on Thursday’s lawsuit.
“Executive privilege will be defended, not just on behalf of my Administration and the Patriots who worked beside me, but on behalf of the Office of the President of the United States and the future of our Nation,” Trump said.
The suit names as defendants several people who have been charged with federal crimes related to the riot. They are alleged to have “conspired to use force, intimidation, and threats to prevent Joe Biden and Kamala Harris from taking office, to prevent Congress from counting the electoral votes, and to prevent the Capitol Police from carrying out their lawful duties.”
The filing provides vivid accounts of the injuries the officers sustained as they tried to fend off the mob as rioters pushed past lines of overwhelmed law enforcement officers and barged into the Capitol. Officer Jason DeRoche was hit with batteries and sprayed with tear gas and bear spray until his eyes were swollen shut. A second officer, Governor Latson, was inside the Senate chamber when the rioters broke through the doors and beat him as they shouted racial slurs, according to the suit.
“We joined the Capitol Police to uphold the law and protect the Capitol community,” the officers said in a statement released by their attorneys. “On Jan. 6 we tried to stop people from breaking the law and destroying our democracy. Since then our jobs and those of our colleagues have become infinitely more dangerous. We want to do what we can to make sure the people who did this are held accountable and that no one can do this again.”
The House committee’s request for documents this week is just the beginning of what is expected to be lengthy, partisan and rancorous congressional investigation into how the mob was able to infiltrate the Capitol and disrupt the counting of the electoral votes in the most serious assault on Congress in two centuries.
Committee members are also considering asking telecommunications companies to preserve phone records of several people, including members of Congress, to try to determine who knew what about the unfolding riot and when they knew it. With chants of “hang Mike Pence,” the rioters sent the then-vice president and members of Congress running for their lives, did more than $1 million in damage and wounded dozens of police officers.
The demands were made for White House records from the National Archives, along with material from the departments of Defense, Justice, Homeland Security and Interior, as well as the FBI and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
The committee so far has heard from police officers who were at the Capitol on Jan. 6. In emotional testimony, the officers spoke about how afraid and frustrated they were by law enforcement leaders’ failure to foresee the potential for violence and understand the scope of planning by the Trump backers.
A Capitol Police officer who fatally shot Ashli Babbitt, a protester, was cleared months ago of criminal wrongdoing and was cleared internally by the department this week. He was planning to reveal his identity in an NBC News interview to air Thursday.
