(Photo : Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 6: The U.S. Capitol Dome is seen through security fencing on July 6, 2021 in Washington, DC. According to recent media reports, the remaining fencing that has surrounded the U.S. Capitol following the January 6 riot will come down sometime this week.
Former United States President Donald Trump is now facing legal charges after seven veteran Capitol Police officers who were there during the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill riot sued the Republican, pro-Trump militias, and other associates, for allegedly conspiring the attack.
Officers filed the suit on Thursday in the U.S. District Court in Washington and were filed by the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. The legal charges allege that Trump and his allies violated the Ku Klux Klan Act and D.C. law by conspiring to block Congress from officially certifying Joe Biden's presidential win.
Capitol Hill Riot
The suit noted that Trump and his colleagues conducted unlawful actions which eventually led to the "Plaintiffs being violently assaulted, spat on, tear-gassed, bear-sprayed, subjected to racial slurs and epithets, and put in fear for their lives." It noted that many of the victims' injuries caused them to suffer to this day.
The officers also included the Trump campaign, longtime Trump adviser Roger Stone, a group named "Stop the Steal" that assisted the organization of a rally Trump addressed on Jan. 6, and more than a dozen people who were facing criminal charges due to their involvement in the riot. The individuals belonged to far-right groups such as the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers, Politico reported.
The new lawsuit is the latest in a series of legal actions against former President Trump and his allies for their alleged involvement in the Capitol Hill riot. However, the Republican has previously denied all accusations that he had a hand in the brutal attack.
The legal filing, which is 71 pages long, also claimed that the defendants spread false claims of election fraud and "inciting violence against members of Congress and the law enforcement officers whose job it was to protect them."
Police officers who protected the Capitol testified last month in the first hearing by the Select House Committee who was responsible for investigating the events of the Jan. 6 attack. The proceedings during the hearing made it clear that the officers suffered physical and mental trauma from the brutal assault, CNN reported.
Truth of the Brutal Incident
The civil lawsuit was not about winning a financial settlement, officer Jason DeRoche, an 18-year veteran of the Capitol Police and a Navy veteran, said. He noted that the legal charges aimed to reveal the truth about what happened during the Jan. 6 attack. DeRoche said he, and many others, did not want the events of that day to ever happen again.
The officer said he wanted Trump and his allies to take responsibility for their actions and words that led to the Capitol Hill riot. DeRoche wanted there to be consequences for anyone who would once again dare to instigate an insurgency.
It was revealed that DeRoche started his shift at the Capitol at 7:00 a.m. on Jan. 6 and helped barricade the area a few hours later using bike racks due to attacking Trump supporters. But during his shift, which lasted until 11:30 p.m., residents assaulted him and used bear spray, pepper spray, and fire extinguishers. The attacks resulted in his eye swelling shut, his arm injured, and emotional injuries, USA Today reported.
Related Article: Capitol Hill Attack Investigation Deepens, Looks Into Security Failures and Trump's Potential Involvement
