DOJ: Officer’s Suicide After Jan. 6 Ruled Line-of-Duty Death
The Justice Department Recognizes Police Officer’s Suicide as Line of Duty Death
The Justice Department has made a significant ruling regarding the death of a police officer who took his own life eight days after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol incursion. In a groundbreaking decision, the department has determined that the officer died in the line of duty, granting his wife federal benefits typically given to families of fallen officers.
Previously, families of officers who intentionally died by suicide were ineligible for such benefits. However, this new ruling, following President Joe Biden’s revisions to the Public Safety Officer Support Act, now allows certain suicides to be classified as line of duty deaths.
The revised legislation, which was passed almost a year ago, expanded disability and education benefits. It now requires the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program (PSOB) to “presume” that suicides are a result of job duties, as long as there is evidence of a physical injury that could lead to emotional trauma.
The new Public Safety Officer Support Act in the US will allow public safety officers to seek disability benefits for PTSD linked to severe trauma to designate work-related PTSD & acute stress disorders as a line of duty injury. It recognizes the emotional toll on 1st responders
— TJ Kennedy (@TJPublicSafety) September 17, 2022
Erin Smith, the widow of Metropolitan police officer Jeffrey Smith, was the first to be considered under the new law, according to her attorney. Officer Smith was among the many officers who served at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. On that day, he was involved in multiple altercations, including scuffling with protesters and being struck in the face by a flying metal pole.
Tragically, eight days after the Capitol incursion, on Jan. 15, Smith took his own life in his car while on his way to work. Despite having no recorded history of depression, his wife firmly believes that his injuries sustained at the Capitol “clearly caused his death,” as reported by the New York Times.
Erin Smith, the widow of a D.C. police officer who took his own life days after reporting to the Capitol on January 6, says “he was never the same” after the insurrection.
“He characterized January 6 as the worst day of his life,” she says. https://t.co/OT222AdyJu pic.twitter.com/0XN7OCs4rs
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) March 30, 2022
The Justice Department’s ruling means that Erin Smith now qualifies for federal benefits, including a $370,000 award given to families of fallen officers. In a letter to Smith, the director of the Justice Department’s Public Safety Officers’ Benefit Office expressed condolences and gratitude for Officer Smith’s public safety efforts and commitment to his community.
In addition to the federal benefits, Erin Smith also receives 100 percent of her husband’s pension after the D.C. Police and Firefighters’ Retirement and Relief Board determined that Smith’s death was in the line of duty.
This ruling marks a significant step forward in recognizing the emotional toll and sacrifices made by public safety officers. It acknowledges the lasting impact of traumatic events on first responders and their families.
Source: The Western Journal
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