At least 138 police officers were injured during the January 6 domestic terrorist attack at the U.S. Capitol. Two of those officers are now suing Trump for inciting his supporters to "fight like hell" at a nearby rally moments before rioters broke into the Capitol.
Capitol police officers James Blassingame and Sidney Hemby filed a complaint against Trump in the Federal District Court in the District of Columbia. They're seeking damages in excess of $75,000, plus punitive damages.
From The New York Times:
During the attack, Officer Hemby, an 11-year veteran of the Capitol Police, was outside the building, crushed against the side and sprayed with chemicals that burned his eyes, skin and throat, the complaint said. One member of the mob screamed that he was "disrespecting the badge."
Officer Hemby remains in physical therapy for neck and back injuries that he sustained on Jan. 6 and "has struggled to manage the emotional fallout from being relentlessly attacked," according to the complaint.
Officer Blassingame, a 17-year veteran of the force, suffered head and back injuries during the riot, the complaint said, and experienced back pain, depression and insomnia afterward.
"He is haunted by the memory of being attacked, and of the sensory impacts — the sights, sounds, smells and even tastes of the attack remain close to the surface," the complaint said. "He experiences guilt of being unable to help his colleagues who were simultaneously being attacked; and of surviving where other colleagues did not."
The complaint cites Trump's answer to moderator Chris Wallace's question during the first presidential debate on whether Trump would tell his supporters to "stay calm" while the election result was being determined. Trump said"
"I am urging my supporters to go into the polls and watch very carefully because that is what needs to happen, I am urging them to do it," Trump said. "I hope it's going to be a fair election, and if it's a fair election, I am 100 percent on board, but if I see tens of thousands of ballots being manipulated, I can't go along with that."
