Donald Trump and two rioters are being sued for $30 million by the girlfriend of a police officer who died following the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
Sandra Garza, the longtime companion of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, 42, argued in her lawsuit, filed in federal 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 indirectly” responsible for the death of her former boyfriend.
The filing, made a day before the second anniversary of the riot, adds: “As a direct result of the attack by defendants Khater and Tanios and others – instigated by defendant Trump – Officer Sicknick suffered physical injuries.
“The following day, January 7, 2021, Officer Sicknick tragically passed away.”
“Everything that transpired on January 6 – 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 chemical spray during the Capitol Riot.
Tanios, who allegedly passed the substance to Khater, agreed to a plea deal in July on charges related to the Jan. 6 attack.
Brian suffered two strokes and died of natural causes.
Sandra seeks $30 million in damages from Trump, Khater and Tanios.
Sandra also accuses the trio of conspiring to block the official certification of the 2020 election, assault or complicity in assault and riot or incitement to riot.
The Washington medical examiner said Brian’s death was the result of multiple strokes that occurred hours following the riot, and prosecutors avoided linking his death to the assault.
But the medical examiner admitted that “all of this played a part in
his state of health”, while the Capitol police consider his death as a death “in the line of duty”.
Trump is facing a series of civil lawsuits arguing he owes significant financial compensation for his role in the events surrounding the Capitol attack.
