Two veterans of the United States Capitol Police are suing Donald Trump for inciting the deadly riot on Jan. 6.
James Blassingame, a 17-year veteran, and Sidney Hemby, an 11-year veteran, filed the lawsuit against Trump on Tuesday claiming they suffered horrific injuries during the attack and they’re blaming him, Bloomberg reports.
The officers say protesters attacked them with aerosol chemicals, including pepper spray and tear gas, that burned their eyes, throat and skin. Hemby says the riot resulted in him being “crushed against the doors on the east side” while “trying to hold the insurrectionists back.”
Blassingame says he was slammed against a stone column, injuring his spine and the back of his head. The complaint said he’s also dealing with depression and survivor’s guilt since the riot.
Blassingame “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,” according to the complaint. “He experiences guilt of being unable to help his colleagues who were simultaneously being attacked; and of surviving where other colleagues did not.”
Each of the officers are seeking at least $75,000 in damages. They accuse Trump of aiding and abetting their assaults and directing his supporters to assault them, according to their complaint.
Police chiefs for law enforcement agencies in Washington, D.C. that responded to the Capitol Riots on Jan. 6 estimate that more than 140 officers were injured in the attack on the Capitol.
Their injuries range from scratches and bruises to brain damage, cracked ribs, and smashed spinal discs. One officer is going to lose his eye.
Five people died during the attack, including Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick. After the attack, Capitol Police officer Howard Leibengood and MPD officer Jeffrey Smith took their own lives.
Trump has previously denied any responsibility for the violent attack and falsely claimed last week that the rioters posed “zero threat” and were “hugging and kissing the police” at the Capitol.
