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Trump Caused Wrongful Death Of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick During Jan. 6 Riots, Lawsuit Alleges

Benzinga · 01/06/2023 03:37

The estate of a Capitol Police officer, who died while responding to the January 6 insurrection, is suing former President Donald Trump and two other rioters.

What Happened: The civil lawsuit was filed by the estate of Brian Sicknick in Washington, DC’s federal court on Thursday. The legal action was taken two days before the two-year anniversary of the riots, reported CNN.

The lawsuit stated that Sicknick and “hundreds of others” were put in “mortal danger” as “defendant Trump watched the events unfold on live television from the safety of the White House.”

“The horrific events of January 6, 2021, including Officer Sicknick’s tragic, wrongful death, were a direct and foreseeable consequence of the Defendants’ unlawful actions.”

Sicknick suffered strokes and died of natural causes the day after the Capitol insurrection, according to DC’s chief medical examiner Francisco Diaz, CNN reported, citing The Washington Post.
Diaz said “all that transpired” on January 6 “played a role” in Sicknick’s condition, according to the report.

Why It Matters: The estate of Sicknick also alleged conspiracy, negligence, and assault and noted that Trump instructed supporters on Jan. 6 to “fight like hell” and “show strength” in his speech before the riot took place, noted CNN.

Notably, Julian Khater and George Tanios, the two rioters named in the Sicknick lawsuit, have reportedly pleaded guilty to crimes related to the January 6 Capitol breach and are due to be sentenced later in January.

The wrongful death allegation against the former president is the most serious accusation to date. The deceased officer’s attorneys are asking the court for damages of more than $10 million, noted CNN.

Trump is already facing other civil lawsuits related to the insurrection and is arguing that he has immunity as he was president at the time, according to the report.