Dozens of people who participated in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol are suing the federal government, accusing responding officers of using excessive force.
The class-action lawsuit, filed in federal court in Florida, alleges U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department “indiscriminately” fired chemical munitions, pepper spray and other projectiles into a crowd gathered on the Capitol’s west side.
The complaint says the plaintiffs were exercising their First Amendment right to protest the certification of the 2020 presidential election results and describes the crowd as “overwhelmingly peaceful” before officers began using force. It alleges protesters were not given required warnings to disperse before chemical agents and munitions were deployed.
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The plaintiffs claim they suffered injuries, including chemical burns, concussions and emotional distress. The lawsuit accuses the government of negligence, assault and failures in supervision and crowd control planning.
The events of Jan. 6 were widely broadcast, showing rioters breaching the Capitol as Congress met to certify the election. About 140 law enforcement officers were injured, and the building sustained significant damage.
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In one of his first moves in office, President Donald Trump pardoned about 1,500 people charged or convicted in connection with the attack and commuted the sentences of 14 others.
The plaintiffs are asking the court to declare that the Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police used unlawful force and to award compensatory damages and legal costs.
Scripps News has reached out to the Justice Department for comment and is awaiting a response.
