The longtime associate of one of many Capitol Cops who died after being attacked in the Jan. 6 insurrection has filed a wrongful loss of life swimsuit in opposition to Donald Trump, in response to a duplicate of the criticism obtained by ABC Information
The swimsuit, filed in federal courtroom on Thursday by Sandra Garza, the girlfriend of Officer Brian Sicknick, comes practically two years for the reason that assault — and accuses Trump of being responsible for Sicknick’s death.
Together with Trump, the swimsuit additionally names two males as defendants, Julian Khater and George Tanios, who have been charged with assaulting Sicknick with chemical spray.
Khater has since pleaded responsible to assaulting police with a harmful weapon; Tanios pleaded responsible to coming into and remaining in a restricted constructing and disorderly or disruptive conduct in that constructing.
Prosecutors stated Tanios was the one who purchased the spray. Tanios’ lawyer wrote last year in a court filing that he did not personally “commit violent acts” on Jan. 6.
Garza’s swimsuit alleges wrongful loss of life and conspiracy, amongst different claims, and seeks $10,000,000 in damages from every defendant.
“The horrific occasions of January 6, 2021, together with Officer Sicknick’s tragic, wrongful loss of life, have been a direct and foreseeable consequence of the Defendants’ illegal actions,” the swimsuit alleges.
In an announcement, a Trump spokesperson stated that he “clearly and unequivocally acknowledged that Individuals ought to ‘peacefully and patriotically make their voices heard.'”
The spokesperson additionally argued that Democratic lawmakers “and plenty of others have promoted ultra-violence in opposition to conservatives and those that won’t bow down their deranged ideology. President Trump is immune from frivolous assaults and can proceed to be totally targeted on his mission to Make America Nice Once more.”
It was unclear if Khater or Tanios had retained attorneys who might touch upon the swimsuit.
Sicknick was hospitalized after the Capitol assault and died on Jan. 7, 2021.
On this Feb. 3, 2021, file picture, a Capitol Police Officer holds a program for a ceremony in honor of Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick within the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Demetrius Freeman, POOL/AFP through Getty Pictures, FILE
A medical expert decided in April 2021 that he died of “pure causes.” In an announcement, the U.S. Capitol Police stated that whereas they accepted that conclusion, “This doesn’t change the actual fact Officer Sicknick died within the line of responsibility, courageously defending Congress and the Capitol.”
In the course of the riot, not less than three officers, together with Sicknick, “have been incapacitated and unable to carry out their duties for not less than 20 minutes or longer whereas they recovered from the spray,” in response to an affidavit within the case in opposition to Khater and Tanios.
One officer stated the spray was “as sturdy as, if not stronger than, any model of the pepper spray that they had been uncovered to throughout their coaching as legislation enforcement officers,” the affidavit acknowledged.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing associated to the occasions of that day.
Final month, after investigating for greater than a yr, the Home committee probing the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol culminated its sweeping investigation by asserting it might make a number of felony referrals to the Division of Justice, together with in opposition to Trump.
In a 160-page abstract of its findings, the committee labeled Trump because the “central trigger” of the assault.
He has disputed the findings of the committee and denied wrongdoing associated to that day.
“The unselect committee [sic] didn’t produce a single shred of proof that I in any approach supposed or wished violence at our Capitol,” Trump stated of the voluminous report in a video posted to Fact Social. “The proof doesn’t exist as a result of the declare is baseless and a monstrous lie.”
Trump has additionally downplayed the occasions of Jan. 6.
“The occasions of Jan. 6 weren’t an rebellion,” he has stated. “They have been a protest that obtained tragically uncontrolled.”
