DOJ rules Metropolitan Police officer's suicide post-Jan. 6 a line of duty death
by Jenny Goldsberry, Social Media Producer
August 19, 2023 11:09 AM
The suicide of a Metropolitan Police officer in the aftermath of Jan. 6 has been ruled a line of duty death by the Department of Justice.
Jeffrey Smith, 35, took his own life on Jan. 15, which was supposed to be his first day back at work following the riot. His widow, Erin Smith, was ineligible for federal benefits previously, even though she believed his mental health to have resulted from injuries incurred while assisting Capitol Police. The DOJ informed Smith Thursday that her husband's death was considered within the eligibility of federal benefits via the Public Safety Officer Support Act.
Thursday was the one-year anniversary of President Joe Biden signing the PSOS bill into law. The Public Safety Officers Benefit program extended its death and disability benefits under the new law. Smith was the first to apply for benefits via this law.
“When my husband died, I was denied the line of duty benefits that he deserved,” Erin said in a statement. “But I knew from the beginning that Jeffrey died in the line of duty from the injuries he suffered on January 6th.”
Next, Smith is appealing the previous denial to have her husband inurned at Arlington National Cemetery. It would be up to the president and Secretary of the Army, Christine E. Wormuth, to approve the official honor guard.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the department's Public Safety Officers’ Benefit Office for comment.
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https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/justice/metropolitan-officers-suicide-line-of-duty-death
