Widow of Jan. 6 officer testifies at rioter's sentencing: "My husband died protecting democracy

Widow of Jan. 6 officer testifies at rioter’s sentencing: “My husband died protecting democracy”

October 17, 2024 Benjamin Hughes

The widow of a Washington, D.C., police officer who died by suicide in the days after January 6, 2021, asked a judge on Thursday for a stiff sentence against a rioter who harassed her husband amid the mob at the U.S. Capitol.

Erin Smith, whose husband Jeff Smith suffered a traumatic brain injury and a fracture while repelling the rioters, said Dana Bell, 66, contributed to her husband’s attack.

“Because of Dana Bell, (my husband) didn’t get the chance to keep serving as a police officer,” Smith said. “At 35, instead of becoming a mother, I became a widow.”

became a public advocate for line-of-duty death benefits for law enforcement officers who died by suicide after the January 6 attack. Several other officers who responded to the Capitol during the riot also died by suicide in the weeks after.

Scott MacFarlane

Scott MacFarlane is a congressional correspondent. He has covered Washington for two decades, earning 20 Emmy and Edward R. Murrow awards. His reporting has resulted directly in the passage of five new laws.

Source: cbsnews.com