Trump’s Jan 6th insurrectionists now claim they were victims of excessive force
They stormed the Capitol, attacked the police, and tried to overturn an election... now they’re asking a court to treat them like the victims of the day they turned into a national disgrace.
A group of Jan. 6 rioters is suing the federal government, claiming police used excessive force while they were, according to the lawsuit, exercising their First Amendment rights, despite overwhelming video evidence showing the mob violently breaching the Capitol and injuring more than 100 officers.
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.
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.
They stormed the Capitol, attacked the police, and tried to overturn an election… now they’re asking a court to treat them like the victims of the day they turned into a national disgrace.