[4] After petition by his widow, DC Police and Firefighters' Retirement and Relief Board found that the "direct and sole" cause of Officer Smith's death were the injuries he received in the line of duty while responding to the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.

[8] Dr. Jonathan Arden, the former Chief Medical Examiner of the District of Columbia was hired by Smith's widow as part of her lawsuit to have her husband's suicide ruled "in the line of duty".

[10] Submitting this report as evidence, on August 13, Smith's widow sued two of his alleged assailants, claiming they caused a traumatic brain injury with a crowbar or a heavy walking stick, leading to his death.

Their collective determination and commitment to fixing an unjust system to prevent future families of the fallen from having to experience the emotional pain and financial harm resulting from the denial of a line-of duty death designation, played a pivotal role in the development and passage of the Public Safety Officer Support Act.

"[19] The bill was signed into law by President Biden on August 16, 2022, forever changing how police mental health and brain injuries are regarded on the federal level.

[20] On January 6, 2023, "for his extraordinary heroism, pure courage, and unwavering devotion to the nation," Smith was posthumously awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal by President Joe Biden.