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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsOfficer Jeffery Smith, A hero of 1/6 who took his own life after injuries sustained on 1/6
Officer Smith responded to the Capitol on 1/6 to defend democracy. In the process, he was injured at least twice in the battle at the Capitol. Forced to return to work too soon after the injuries, exhausted and most likely concussed, he took his own life. His widow was finally found eligible for federal benefits for spouses of officers who died in the line of duty.
The widow of a police officer who died by suicide after he was assaulted during the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol has been found eligible for a federal benefits program for the families of fallen officers. Erin Smith, the widow of Jeffrey Smith, was instrumental in the passage of a renewed version of the Public Safety Officer Support Act that President Joe Biden signed into law last August. The legislation made the families of officers who died by suicide eligible for the federal benefits that go to first responders, so long as their death is found to have been linked to their official duties and exposure to a traumatic event.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/doj-finds-officers-suicide-jan-6-was-death-line-duty-rcna100648
Easterncedar
(2,324 posts)Its good that she is getting benefits. Another death caused by the orange monster.
snowybirdie
(5,239 posts)A good law enforcement story. His first family deserves this.
tetedur
(820 posts)Blood is on his hands. Those that were foolish enough to do his dirty work and those that tried to defend against the coup attempt.
Jarqui
(10,130 posts)Trump has 58 co-conspirators with his 4 indictments
That ignores a number of felons from his inner circle who he pardoned
That ignores all the Republicans who voted against impeachment .. twice
That ignores the Republican party who made him their leader when a bunch of the crap about Trump was already known
They all enabled Trump.
They all have blood on their hands for what he did and got them to do on Jan 6th
Evolve Dammit
(16,773 posts)This death and the entire event is the most tragic assault on the rule of law. We have regressed and I'm not sure it's fixable given the millions who are fine with it.
Upthevibe
(8,072 posts)llmart
(15,553 posts)He's a true patriot, not those military weasels who took part in the insurrection, violating the oath that they took when they enlisted. I have no use for those who think that all they have to do is fly the flag and pretend that's what it means to be patriotic.
And some people wonder why I have no use for anyone that is a self-proclaimed Magat or who is sitting in Congress and decided not to approve the election of our rightful President, Joe Biden.
niyad
(113,576 posts)Faux pas
(14,690 posts)with
bottomofthehill
(8,347 posts)bottomofthehill
(8,347 posts)Three Metropolitan Police Officers and 1 US Capitol police officer committed suicide soon after the violence directed at them by former President Trump. These were line officers who responded to defend democracy on 1/6. They did not need to respond, they could have found things to do on their beats but they deployed to the Capitol to protect democracy and third brothers and sisters in Law Enforcement. There was a lot of bullshit slung at their suicides here and in other places. These men took part in a brutal hand to hand combat battle fought at the Capitol and suffered from the trauma both physical and mental in the aftermath. Their familys are big getting their loss recognized as in the line of duty deaths. Below are the heros, they along with Brian Sicknick lost their lives in defense of democracy.
MPD Officer Gunther Hashida
MPD Officer Kyle DeFreytag
MPD Officer Jeffrey Smith
U.S. Capitol Police Officer Howard Liebengood
ProudProgressiveNow
(6,129 posts)Grins
(7,231 posts)Bill introduced by a Democrat, then signed into law by a Democrat.
Maybe police should pause and reflect on what Party has their back?
bottomofthehill
(8,347 posts)Paid to put a hundred thousand cops on the street.