2 U.S. Capitol Police officers sue Trump over January 6 assault

Washington — A pair of U.S. Capitol Police officers are suing former President Donald Trump over his conduct related to the January 6 deadly assault on the U.S. Capitol, arguing Mr. Trump's repeated claims of election fraud spurred the attack from the mob of his supporters that caused them physical and emotional injuries.

Officers James Blassingame, a 17-year veteran of the Capitol Police, and Sidney Hemby, an 11-year veteran of the force, filed their complaint in the federal district court in the District of Columbia on Tuesday, arguing Mr. Trump "inflamed, encouraged, incited, directed and aided and abetted" the insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol. Blassingame said he was repeatedly called racial slurs by the rioters during the attack, and the two officers suffered injuries as a result of the former president's rhetoric, they argue. The officers, who both live in Maryland, are seeking compensatory damages of at least $75,000 apiece and punitive damages of an unspecified amount.