A Capitol Police officer injured during the January 6 attack has filed a lawsuit against Donald Trump, accusing him of being responsible for the violence that day.
Officer Briana Kirkland is the latest law enforcement official on duty during the attack at the Capitol to file a civil lawsuit against the former president accusing him of inciting the violent mob of his supporters.
According to the lawsuit, seen by NBC and CNN, Trump's "provocative words and actions" in the run-up to January attack were to blame for the insurrection at the Capitol.
The court filings states that Trump's constantly tweeting that the 2020 election was rigged, his speech just prior to the attack, and then refusing to tell his supporters to end the riot "were likely to incite and provoke violence in others and did in fact incite and provoke violence" towards the officer.
The lawsuit, which was filed on the one-year anniversary of the attack, said Trump had "inflamed, encouraged, incited, directed and aided and abetted" the "insurrectionist mob" on January 6.
"As the leader of this violent mob, who took their cues from his campaign rhetoric and personal Tweets and traveled from around the country to the nation's capital at Trump's invitation for the January 6 rally, Trump was in a position of extraordinary influence over his followers, who committed assault and battery on Briana Kirkland," the lawsuit said.
"Trump, by his words and conduct, directed the mob that stormed the Capitol and assaulted and battered Briana Kirkland."
Kirkland's attorney, Patrick Malone, wrote in the filing that the officer "endured an odyssey" while trying to protect the building from the violent mob.
As a result of the assault, Kirkland ended the day "covered in chemical spray, blood, with a traumatic brain injury that would cost her a year of her personal and professional life, and physical and personal injuries that will be with her indefinitely."
Kirkland is seeking at least $75,000 in damages and legal fees from her lawsuit against Trump.
Trump is facing a number of civil lawsuits in connection to his apparent incitement of the January 6 attack, including from other law enforcement officers on duty that day.
Capitol Police officer Marcus Moore also alleges that Trump "inflamed, encouraged, incited, directed, and aided and abetted" the mob to storm the Capitol building and attack law enforcement officers on January 6.
Almost the exact wording is also used in the suit filed fellow Capitol Police officers James Blassingame and Sidney Hemby.
In March, former House impeachment manager Eric Swalwell also filed suit against Trump, his eldest son Donald Trump Jr., his attorney Rudy Giuliani and Republican Rep. Mo Brooks, accusing the defendants of having "assembled, inflamed and incited the mob, and as such are wholly responsible for the injury and destruction" that occurred on January 6.
Trump has been contacted for comment.
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Ewan Palmer is a Newsweek News Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on US politics, domestic policy ... Read more
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