“Plaintiffs and their fellow police officers risked their lives to defend the Capitol from a violent mass attack: an attack provoked, aided and abetted by the defendants in an illegal effort to use force, intimidation and threats to prevent Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election, ”says the lawsuit, which was filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
“Because of the defendants’ illegal actions, the plaintiffs were violently assaulted, spat upon, gassed by tears, sprayed with bear, subjected to racial insults and epithets, and feared for their lives,” the demand. “The plaintiffs’ wounds, caused by the defendants, persist to this day.”
The new lawsuit is the latest in a series of lawsuits against the former president designed to hold him responsible for the deadly insurgency on the U.S. Capitol.
CNN has contacted a Trump spokesman to comment. Trump has previously denied any responsibility for the attack on the U.S. Capitol.
The 71-page lawsuit also alleges that the defendants spread false allegations of election fraud and that they “incited violence against members of Congress and police officers who were supposed to protect them.”
Among the defendants are alleged members of far-right extremist groups Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, who are now facing criminal charges for their alleged roles in the riot.
Last month, police officers who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6 testified during a hearing before the House Selection Committee investigating the events that day. Their stories made it clear that they are still dealing with physical and mental trauma from the attack.
Earlier this year, two U.S. Capitol police officers sued Trump for inciting the crowd and said they suffered physical and emotional harm because he allegedly “inflamed, encouraged, incited (and) directed” the crowd. who stormed the Capitol. Democratic lawmakers, including the former California representative, the House Representative for Empeachment, have also sued Trump and his associates for the attack.
Thursday’s lawsuit comes just days after the U.S. Capitol Police Office of Professional Responsibility determined that the USCP officer who shot and killed Ashli Babbitt, a pro-Trump riot police, on January 6, will not face any disciplinary action.
This story has been updated with additional information.
