Washington: Police officers who were attacked during the capitol riot of January 6 have filed a lawsuit against former US President Donald Trump and his extremist groups - the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers.
Seven police officers are accusing political assistant Roger Stone and members of far-right extremist groups for intentionally sending a violent mob to disrupt the congressional certification of Joe Biden's victory in the November 2020 election, reported The Guardian.
Roger Stone was in prison for crimes in relation to the Russian interference in the 2016 election campaign. He was pardoned by Donald Trump right before he left office.
The suit also alleges that Trump worked for intentionally sending a violent mob to disrupt the congressional certification of Joe Biden's victory in the November 2020 election. The former president is being accused of committing acts of domestic terrorism in "an unlawful effort to stay in power".
Plaintiffs state that they were "violently assaulted, spat on, tear-gassed, bear-sprayed, subjected to racial slurs and epithets, and put in fear for their lives". Conrad Smith, Danny McElroy, Byron Evans, Governor Latson, Melissa Marshall, Michael Fortune, and Jason DeRoche are the officers listed in the lawsuit. Five of them are Black.
The lawsuit alleged that Donald Trump and his co-conspirators repeatedly committed election fraud caused by many of his supporters, including other defendants, to plan to employ force, intimidation, and threats on his behalf to keep him in office, should he lose the election, said The Guardian report.
Many other officers have come forward with their experiences of January 6. Michael Fortune said that he saw the Capitol being similar to a war zone. DeRoche, an 18-year Capitol police veteran and a Navy veteran, said that the suit is not about a monetary settlement.
DeRoche added that he wants to set the record straight about the events of January 6 and to hold Trump accountable for their actions.
A House committee has started in earnest to investigate the Capitol riot. Trump accused the committee of violating "long-standing legal principles of privilege". His team has not yet responded to the lawsuit.