Article by Athena Thorne in PJMedia
Jan. 6 Protestor Files Federal Lawsuit for Alleged Beating by Capitol Police
On Jan. 5, one day before the statute of limitations would have expired for some of the crimes she’s alleging, Victoria White filed a federal lawsuit against the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia. White was a protestor at the Jan. 6, 2021 demonstration at the U.S. Capitol.
According to the suit, a copy of which was posted by Epoch Times, White was forced into the West Terrace tunnel at the U.S. Capitol by the massive number of protestors. She became trapped between the protestors and the riot police and was immobilized inside the tunnel. At that time, White’s suit alleges, she was struck in the head with a baton numerous times, sprayed with mace, punched in the face, and had her hair pulled by Capitol police. The abuse continued even though White was bleeding, visibly in distress, unable to move away from the police or follow any orders to do so, and collapsed more than once.
The suit was filed by White’s attorney, Joseph D. McBride. McBride’s law firm posted several videos of the events that transpired that day on rumble.com. One video shows White being beaten and prevented from escaping by riot police over a five-minute period. The officers nearest her held onto her so she couldn’t move away, while an officer just behind them struck her repeatedly on the head with a baton. That officer appeared to be a supervisor because he was wearing a white-shirted uniform. The complaint presumes him to be a lieutenant.
White herself was hit with half a dozen criminal charges by federal prosecutors last April. One of the charges against her was “violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.” However, McBride’s firm posted a second video that shows White, before the beating, placing herself protectively in front of a window and repelling rioters who attempted to break the glass. “We don’t do that sh*t,” she is heard telling them.
McBride released a statement about the case on Jan. 6, in which he discusses the psychological trauma White suffered in addition to the physical damage she incurred from the beating.
“Victoria speaks openly about the fact that she is a domestic violence survivor. Specifically, that she was in an abusive relationship for ten years, where she endured beatings and psychological abuse on a regular basis,” wrote McBride in the statement.
“Victoria lived with untreated psychological and physical conditions related to enduring repetitive head trauma for many years. She hit a turning point in 2016 through a combination of medicine, psychotherapy, and a new found personal relationship with Jesus Christ,” he continued, but “Years of healing and progress were literally beaten out of her by the police on January 6. The scars and trauma related to past abuse were torn open again. A multitude of preexisting repetitive trauma injuries aggravated to the point where she can never fully recover.”
McBride also stated that “Victoria’s legal team will file an amended complaint in the coming days with a dollar amount significantly higher than the preliminary ask of one million dollars. Nothing will ever right the wrong committed against Ms. White, but making sure that she is compensated for the egregious injuries that she suffered on January 6, 2021, is certainly a start.”
Many people are already dismayed that another unarmed female demonstrator, Ashli Babbitt, was shot and killed by a D.C. metro police officer, who had a prior record of unsafe behavior and who was not charged with any wrongdoing.
Luckily, Victoria White survived her encounter with the overreactive capitol police, who seemed unable to discern between the violent rioters and the peaceful, non-threatening demonstrators who were merely trying to exercise their right to speak out against what they saw as government misbehavior. Here’s hoping White is able to find some degree of justice and restitution with her lawsuit.
