The lawsuit, filed Thursday night in federal court in Washington, comes ahead of the two-year anniversary of the attack on the US congressional headquarters that killed five people, including Chiknik, and injured hundreds.
Signik’s friend Sandra Garza points out in a court document that the agent’s death was a “direct and foreseeable consequence” of the words of Trump’s January 6, 2021 speech to his supporters.
The former president gave an incendiary speech before the attack on the Capitol, in which he called for electoral fraud in the 2020 presidential election and urged his supporters to march on the congressional seat.
The lawsuit alleges the two assailants, Julian Gadder and George Danios, sprayed Bear Repellent on Cygnik, injuring him, and that he was unable to “defend himself against the mob.”
Thacker and Danios pleaded guilty last year and are awaiting sentencing.
Although a forensic technician determined at the time that Signik’s death was “natural” due to a cerebrovascular accident (CVA), Garza’s attorneys argued that “all the events of 06 (…) led to the state. Agent’s death.
The suit seeks to charge Trump and the two attackers with manslaughter and conspiracy to violate civil rights.
It proposes assault charges against Khader and Danios, and additional charges against Trump for aiding and abetting the police attack.
Prosecutors, for their part, are seeking at least 10 million dollars (9.4 million euros) in compensation from each victim.
In addition to Chiknik, 140 officers were seriously injured and a minute of silence was observed today at the Capitol by the Democratic congressman in honor of police officers killed in the attack. The rest of the dead — four — were Trump supporters.
Signik, 42, had been with the Capitol Police since 2008.
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