Seven U.S. Capitol police officers filed a lawsuit Thursday against former President Donald Trump, his longtime adviser Roger Stone and members of far-right extremist groups, claiming they intentionally sent the violent mob to the Capitol on January 6.
In addition to Trump and Stone, the lawsuit also names over a dozen others, including The Proud Boys, The Oathkeepers, and Trump ally Ali Alexander, accusing them of conspiring to stop Congress from confirming President Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory “through the use of force, intimidation, and threats.”
“Trump, in concert with other Defendants, deliberately and persistently made and encouraged false claims of election fraud to discredit the outcome of the election and disingenuously incite outrage among his supporters,” the claim states.
The lawsuit also alleges that the defendants’ actions violated the Ku Klux Klan Act, which protects against political violence and intimidation, and other laws.
All seven officers claimed they were “violently assaulted, spat on, tear-gassed, bear-sprayed, subjected to racial slurs and epithets, and put in fear for their lives” as they defended the Capitol from a mob of Trump supporters.
This suit marks at least the fourth lawsuit against Trump related to the Capitol riot and the second to be filed by members of the Capitol Police force.
Four lives were lost on the day of the insurrection. One person was shot by an officer, while the three others died of natural causes. One Capitol officer died the following day. Four officers who defended the Capitol that day later committed suicide.
