Donald Trump and two rioters sued for $30m by girlfriend of late Capitol riot cop
Donald Trump and two rioters are being sued for $30 million by the girlfriend of a police officer who died after the January 6 Capitol Hill attack.
Donald Trump and two rioters are being sued for $30 million by the girlfriend of a police officer who died after the January 6 Capitol Hill attack.
Sandra Garza, the long-term partner of Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, 42, argued in her lawsuit, filed at the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia on Thursday (05.01.23), that Trump, 76, along with Julian Khater, 33, and George Tanios, 40, were “directly and vicariously” liable for her former boyfriend’s death.
The filing, made a day before the two-year anniversary of the riot, added: “As a direct result of the attack by Defendants Khater and Tanios and others – which Defendant Trump instigated – Officer Sicknick suffered physical injuries.
“The following day, on January 7, 2021, Officer Sicknick tragically died.”
“All that transpired on January 6th – including the actions taken by Defendants Trump, Khater, and Tanios - played a significant role in the medical condition that led to Officer Sicknick’s death the following day.”
Khater pleaded guilty in September to assaulting three police officers, including Brian, with a chemical spray in the Capitol riot.
Tanios, who reportedly passed the substance to Khater, took a plea deal in July over charges related to the January 6 attack.
Brian suffered two strokes and died of natural causes and Sandra’s lawsuit seeks $30 million in damages from Trump, Khater and Tanios.
Sandra also accused the trio of conspiring to block the official certification of the 2020 election, assault or aiding and abetting assault, and rioting or inciting a riot.
The Washington medical examiner ruled Brian’s death was the result of multiple strokes that occurred hours after the riot, and prosecutors avoided linking his death to the assault.
But the medical examiner admitted “all that transpired played a role in his condition”, while the Capitol Police are considering his death as a “line of duty” fatality.
Trump is facing a string of civil suits arguing he owes major financial compensation for his role in the events surrounding the Capitol attack.
A federal judge in February allowed three civil suits against the former US leader should move forward.
Officer Sicknick was one of five police officers at the Capitol on January 6 who died in the year after the attack.
The four other officers – Jeffrey Smith, Howard S Liebengood, Gunther Hashida and Kyle DeFreytag – died by suicide.
