He Killed Himself After the Jan. 6 Riot. Did He Die in the Line of Duty? Jeffrey Smith, a police officer who confronted a mob in the Capitol, later shot himself. His widow blames the riot, and is asking for full death benefits. Jeffrey Smith was one of hundreds of Metropolitan Police Department officers deployed during the Capitol riot on Jan. 6.Credit...via Erin Smith July 29, 2021 Jeffrey Smith, a 12-year veteran patrolman, was one of hundreds of Metropolitan Police Department officers deployed on Jan. 6 to defend the Capitol from a violent mob. He was hit in the head with a metal pole during the melee and afterward, his wife said, he seemed to slip into a deep depression.