In step with a letter bought completely by way of CNN, the District of Columbia’s Police and Firefighters’ Retirement and Reduction Board has discovered that Smith “sustained a private damage on January 6, 2021, whilst appearing his tasks and that his damage was once the only real and direct reason behind his loss of life.”
The ruling makes his circle of relatives eligible to obtain advantages.
The board issued an order to Erin Smith on Wednesday evening vacating the former choice to disclaim her survivor’s advantages, granting her an annuity equivalent to her past due husband’s pay.
Erin Smith had petitioned the Retirement and Reduction Board closing yr to claim her husband’s suicide a line-of-duty loss of life.
Her legal professional, David P. Weber, produced video proof for the board that confirmed Jeffrey Smith being assaulted by way of the mob and hit within the head with a steel pole on January 6. He died 9 days later, after he shot himself within the head whilst using to paintings from his house in Virginia. It was once intended to be his first day again after looking for scientific consideration for the wounds and psychological trauma he suffered on January 6.
“This was once a forensic loss of life investigation from the start,” stated Weber, who may be a forensic accounting professor at Salisbury College in Maryland. “At first, we did not know what took place to Officer Smith. We took the proof from the post-mortem, professional witnesses, frame digicam photos and federal subpoenas to end up that Jeff suffered a hectic mind damage on January 6.”
Weber informed CNN closing yr that “whilst the bullet will have been the real reason behind loss of life, the chain of occasions was once set in movement January 6 and the chain was once now not damaged.”
Smith’s circle of relatives now has affirmation from the Retirement and Reduction Board that his loss of life was once brought about by way of the wounds he had sustained on January 6. The order can even entitle Smith’s widow to well being advantages, in step with Weber.
There’s no identified earlier case, Weber stated, wherein the suicide of a Metropolitan Police officer has been declared a line-of-duty loss of life.
“Officer Smith’s widow is crushed, as a result of she is aware of that is going to assist such a lot of long run households,” Weber stated. “Erin Smith requires her husband to now be entitled to the rite and honor to which a fallen hero and his circle of relatives is entitled.”
This tale has been up to date with further main points Wednesday.
