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After the ruling, the Capitol Police issued a statement saying that the ruling "does not change the fact Officer Brian Sicknick died in the line of duty, courageously defending Congress and the Capitol."<ref name=MedExaminer/>
After the ruling, the Capitol Police issued a statement saying that the ruling "does not change the fact Officer Brian Sicknick died in the line of duty, courageously defending Congress and the Capitol."<ref name=MedExaminer/>

[[Reason magazine]] said the confusion surrounding Sicknick's death was not only due to faulty reporting by the media, but also a failure of government transparency, noting law enforcement has a lengthy history in laundering misinformation when it serves its purposes.<ref>{{cite news | title=The Confusion Surrounding Brian Sicknick's Death Was a Failure of Government Transparency | first=C.J. | last=Ciaramella | url=https://reason.com/2021/04/20/the-confusion-surrounding-brian-sicknicks-death-was-a-failure-of-government-transparency/ | date=April 20, 2021 | access-date=May 11, 2021 | work=[[Reason magazine]]}}</ref>


== Memorials and funeral ==
== Memorials and funeral ==

Revision as of 23:48, 11 May 2021

Brian Sicknick
Born
Brian David Sicknick

(1978-07-30)July 30, 1978
DiedJanuary 7, 2021(2021-01-07) (aged 42)
Resting placeArlington National Cemetery
Alma materUniversity of Phoenix (B.S.), 2013
Known for2021 storming of the United States Capitol
Police career
Department United States Capitol Police
Service years2008–2021
Military career
Allegiance United States
Service/branch United States Air Force
Years of service1997–2003
Rank Staff sergeant
Battles/wars

Brian David Sicknick (July 30, 1978[1] – January 7, 2021) was a United States Capitol Police officer who died of natural causes from a stroke, a day after he responded to the storming of the Capitol in 2021.[2] He lay in honor in the Capitol rotunda and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Two men were charged with assaulting Sicknick and two other officers with a chemical irritant during the storming.[3]

A native of South River, New Jersey, Sicknick served in the New Jersey Air National Guard from 1997 through 2003. He was deployed to Operation Southern Watch in 1999 and Operation Enduring Freedom in 2003. Sicknick later moved to Springfield, Virginia, and joined the Capitol Police in 2008.

Early life and career

Sicknick's basic training photo in 1997

Sicknick was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, to Gladys and Charles Sicknick. He grew up in South River, New Jersey, as the youngest of three sons.[3][1] He attended the Calico Cat Preschool of the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in South River from 1981 to 1983.[4] Sicknick attended East Brunswick Technical High School to study electronics but later aspired to become a police officer.[5] He graduated from the high school in 1997.[6]

After struggling to find a job as a police officer, Sicknick joined the New Jersey Air National Guard in 1997, toward that end.[5] He served on the 108th Wing at Joint Base McGuire–Dix–Lakehurst, as a fire team member and leader with the security force squadron.[7] In 1998, he wrote a letter to Home News Tribune, his local newspaper, expressing his skepticism towards America's soft stance against Saddam Hussein.[4]

He was deployed to Saudi Arabia to support Operation Southern Watch in 1999, and to Kyrgyzstan to support Operation Enduring Freedom in 2003.[7] Sicknick later criticized U.S. motivations for the War in Afghanistan and the government's strategy in the Iraq War. In 2003, he wrote again to Home News Tribune, noting a decline in morale among troops.[4] He was honorably discharged in the same year as a staff sergeant.[7]

Sicknick also worked as a school custodian in Cranbury, New Jersey.[4] He later moved to Springfield, Virginia,[8] and joined the United States Capitol Police in July 2008.[9] One of his first assignments occurred during the first inauguration of Barack Obama.[5] On December 31, 2013, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice degree from the University of Phoenix.[1] Sicknick was an outspoken supporter of Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential election,[4][3] but those who had met him "said his political views did not align neatly with one political party": he opposed Trump's impeachment, supported gun control, opposed animal cruelty and was concerned about the national debt.[3] He was remembered for comforting Caroline Behringer, a staffer for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, as she returned to work at the Capitol following Trump's victory.[4]

Death

Sicknick was a member of the Capitol Police's First Responder Unit.[5] During the storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, Sicknick guarded the Capitol's west side,[10] specifically the lower west terrace.[11] Both police and rioters deployed chemical spray and other irritants.[10]

Sicknick initially text-messaged his brother in the night after the storming of the Capitol, reporting that he had been twice attacked with pepper spray and was "in good shape".[5] Shortly before 10 p.m., however, Sicknick collapsed after he had returned to his division office, within the Capitol. Sicknick was taken to a hospital in the D.C. area, and his condition apparently deteriorated. He suffered a stroke caused by a blood clot, and was surviving on a ventilator.[5][10] Sicknick died around 9:30 p.m. on January 7.[5][10] Family members had not yet arrived at the hospital when he died.[5]

Storming of the Capitol

The FBI stated that rioters Khater and Tanios arrived at the police line at 2:09 p.m., over an hour after the assault on the Capitol began. At 2:14 p.m., Khater and Tanios, then close to the police line, had a discussion, part of which was captured in another video recording. Khater tells Tanios, "Give me that bear shit" and then appeared to get something from Tanio's backback.[10] (Federal prosecutors wrote in later court filings that Khater and Tanios were both carrying cans of bear spray, and that Tanios was also carrying bear spray. The latter substance is more powerful than pepper spray, and is not intended to be used on humans.[10]) Tanios told Khater to wait,[10] saying "Hold on, hold on, not yet, not yet ... it's still early,"[12] apparently suggesting that it was too early to use the pepper spray to attack police.[13] Khater responded, "They just fucking sprayed me."[10][12]

At 2:23 p.m., rioters attempted to breach the police line (formed by barricades of bicycle racks). A police lieutenant sprayed the crowd with a chemical substance, and one of the rioters rushed in to attack a Metropolitan Police officer. At that moment, Khater raised his arm above the mob and sprayed a chemical substance toward Sicknick—a moment captured by Metropolitan Police Department body camera footage, which also shows the police officers stumbling back, shielding their eyes, and calling out in pain. Still photographs show that Sicknick retreated, bent over, and used water to wash out his face.[10] A Capitol Police officer who stood next to Sicknick during the attack said that, due to the effects of the spray, she had burn scabs under her eyes three weeks after January 6.[10]

Within five minutes of the attack on Sicknick and the other officers, rioters breached the police line and seized control of the west side of the building.[10] After a group of other police officers regroup to guard one important entranceway, the mob clashed with police for more than two hours; during that period, at least four officers were pulled into the crowd and beaten. After the police retreat, video recordings show Tanios and Khater standing some distance from the crowd; Khater spoke with two tactical vest-wearing men discussing what the mob's next move should be.[10]

Investigations and reporting regarding cause of death

Within hours of Sicknick's death, the Capitol Police released a statement late January 7 that Sicknick died "due to injuries sustained while on-duty" while "physically engaging with protesters" at the Capitol.[14] On January 8, the Capitol Police opened a homicide investigation into Sicknick's death,[15] joined by the Metropolitan Police Department and other federal agencies.[16]

Some initial media reports regarding Sicknick's cause of death were incorrect.[17][18][19] On January 8, The New York Times quoted two anonymous law enforcement officials as saying that Sicknick was struck in the head by a fire extinguisher during the storming.[20] Similar reports quoting anonymous law enforcement official(s) were independently issued by the Associated Press and the Wall Street Journal.[21][22] Investigators originally believed that Sicknick's head was struck by an extinguisher due to statements collected early in the investigation, reported the Associated Press on February 28, citing two people briefed on the investigation.[23]

Meanwhile, Sicknick's father said Sicknick was pepper-sprayed and hit in the head, reported Reuters on January 10.[19][24]

On February 2, CNN reported, citing a law enforcement official, that medical examiners could not find evidence of blunt force trauma in Sicknick, and investigators were considering a chemical irritant as a possible cause of death rather than a fire extinguisher.[19][25] On February 11, The New York Times reported that "police sources and investigators are at odds" over whether Sicknick had been hit with an extinguisher.[19][26] Other police officers were targeted by the pro-Trump mob with hurled fire extinguishers on January 6, in incidents unrelated to Sicknick.[27]

On February 25, Yogananda Pittman, who became acting chief of the Capitol Police after the storming, told the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch that Sicknick had died in the line of duty.[11] In testimony to a Senate committee on March 2, 2021, FBI Director Christopher Wray said that the FBI would not release information on Sicknick's cause of death while the investigation was ongoing.[28]

The FBI had narrowed its list of suspects throughout February.[29][30] On March 14, Khater, of State College, Pennsylvania, and Tanios, of Morgantown, West Virginia, were arrested and charged with nine federal counts associated with the riot, including assaulting Sicknick and two other officers (one Capitol Police officer and one Metropolitan Police officer) with a deadly weapon.[11][10][31][32][33] The two men were also charged with civil disorder, obstructing a congressional proceeding, and conspiring to injure an officer.[11][33] A federal magistrate judge ordered Tanios to be detained pending trial.[31] Khater and Tanios were not charged with murder,[32] although the investigation is continuing.[10] Video of Sicknick being sprayed with chemicals was released publicly for the first time in late March.[10]

On April 19, 2021, the office of the chief medical examiner of the District of Columbia, Francisco J. Diaz, concluded that the manner of death was natural, arising from "acute brainstem and cerebellar infarcts due to acute basilar artery thrombosis" (two strokes at the base of the brain stem caused by an artery clot).[3][34][35] Diaz told the Washington Post that there was no evidence that Sicknick had an allergic reaction to chemicals or was otherwise injured, but stated that "all that transpired played a role in his condition."[3][36]

The medical examiner's determination makes any potential murder charges unlikely.[3][37] Because stress and traumatic events can lead to a stroke, some neurologists and other experts questioned the medical examiner's classification of the manner of death as natural; for example, Dr. Cyril Wecht, a forensic pathologist, said that Sicknick's manner of death should have been classified as accidental, a homicide, or "undetermined".[38]

After the ruling, the Capitol Police issued a statement saying that the ruling "does not change the fact Officer Brian Sicknick died in the line of duty, courageously defending Congress and the Capitol."[3]

Reason magazine said the confusion surrounding Sicknick's death was not only due to faulty reporting by the media, but also a failure of government transparency, noting law enforcement has a lengthy history in laundering misinformation when it serves its purposes.[39]

Memorials and funeral

Flag at the Capitol at half-staff on January 12 in honor of Sicknick
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden attend the viewing for Sicknick's remains at the Capitol.

On January 8, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ordered flags at the Capitol to be lowered to half-staff in honor of Sicknick.[40] Vice President Mike Pence called Sicknick's family to offer his condolences, and a deputy press secretary for the Trump administration issued a written statement.[41] The following weekend, President Trump ordered flags to be flown at half-staff at all federal buildings, grounds, and vessels from January 10 through 13.[42] The governors of New Jersey and Virginia also ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in their respective states on January 11.[43][44] On January 12, a memorial service was held in Sicknick's hometown of South River, New Jersey. His family, New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez, and local officials were in attendance. Menendez presented to Sicknick's family the flag that had flown over the Capitol in his honor.[45] Sicknick's high school, East Brunswick Technical High School, announced plans to plant an oak tree on campus in his honor.[6]

On January 29, Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that Sicknick would lie in honor at the Capitol rotunda.[46] The arrival ceremony began on the evening of February 2 at the Capitol's east front, followed by a viewing period attended by President Joe Biden, who had taken office on January 20 after the end of President Trump's term, and First Lady Jill Biden.[46] Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff paid their respects on February 3, along with several legislators and police officers.[47] Later that day, Sicknick's cremated remains departed the Capitol for Arlington National Cemetery,[48] where a burial with full honors took place.[49]

On February 8, members of Sicknick's family attended Super Bowl LV as honored guests of the National Football League, along with three officers of the Metropolitan Police Department.[50]

See also

Notes

References

  1. ^ a b c "Obituary: Brian David Sicknick". Dignity Memorial. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  2. ^ Albert, Victoria (April 20, 2021). "Officer Brian Sicknick died of natural causes after defending Capitol on January 6, medical examiner says". CBS News. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Hermann, Peter; Hsu, Spencer S. (April 19, 2021). "Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who engaged rioters, suffered two strokes and died of natural causes, officials say". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Diamond, Michael L.; Loyer, Susan; Russell, Suzanne; Tufaro, Greg (January 8, 2021). "NJ hometown 'in shock' after Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick dies in D.C. riot". My Central Jersey. Archived from the original on February 5, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h McSwane, J. David (January 8, 2021). ""This Political Climate Got My Brother Killed": Officer Brian Sicknick Died Defending the Capitol. His Family Waits for Answers". ProPublica. Archived from the original on February 5, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  6. ^ a b Catalini, Mike; Merchant, Nomaan (January 10, 2021). "'Brian did his job': Family remembers fallen Capitol officer, military veteran". Military Times. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  7. ^ a b c Pawlyk, Oriana (January 8, 2021). "Police Officer Killed in US Capitol Siege Was Air National Guard Veteran, Deployed to Iraq". Military.com. Archived from the original on January 30, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  8. ^ Hauck, Grace (January 8, 2021). "What to know about Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who died from injuries after pro-Trump riot". USA Today. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  9. ^ Ellis, Ralph (January 9, 2021). "Capitol Police officer who died when mob stormed the Capitol was proud to serve his nation, family said". CNN. Archived from the original on February 2, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Hill, Evan; Botti, David; Khavin, Dmitriy; Jordan, Drew; Browne, Malachy (March 24, 2021). "Officer Brian Sicknick Died After the Capitol Riot. New Videos Show How He Was Attacked". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 24, 2021. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  11. ^ a b c d Hsu, Spencer S.; Hermann, Peter (March 15, 2021). "Two arrested in assault on police officer Brian D. Sicknick, who died after Jan. 6 Capitol riot". The Washington Post. Washington DC. Archived from the original on March 15, 2021. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  12. ^ a b Harvey, Matt (March 15, 2021). "Morgantown West Virginia sandwich operator charged with deploying chemical spray against Officer Sicknick, 2 other officers in Capitol insurrection". WV News. Archived from the original on March 16, 2021. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  13. ^ Benner, Katie; Goldman, Adam (March 15, 2021). "Two Are Charged With Assault on Officer Who Died After Capitol Riot". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 23, 2021. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  14. ^ Diaz, Jaclyn; Chappell, Bill; Moore, Elena (January 7, 2021). "Police Confirm Death Of Officer Injured During Attack On Capitol". NPR. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  15. ^ Lynch, Sarah; Reid, Tim (January 8, 2021). "Homicide Investigation Opened Into the Death Of Capitol Police Officer". Reuters. Archived from the original on March 5, 2021. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  16. ^ Perez, Evan; LeBlanc, Paul (January 8, 2021). "Homicide Investigation Opened Into the Death Of Capitol Police Officer". CNN. Archived from the original on February 4, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  17. ^ Wishwanatha, Aruna (April 21, 2021). "Officer Brian Sicknick: What We Know About His Death". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021.
  18. ^ Bethania Palma (February 16, 2021). "Did U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick Die After Hit With a Fire Extinguisher?". Snopes. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
  19. ^ a b c d "Update: Capitol police officer Brian Sicknick died of natural causes". Politifact. April 20, 2021. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
  20. ^ Kanno-Youngs, Zolan; Tully (January 8, 2021). "He Dreamed of Being a Police Officer, Then Was Killed by a Pro-Trump Mob". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 9, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2021. Then on Wednesday, pro-Trump rioters attacked that citadel of democracy, overpowered Mr. Sicknick, 42, and struck him in the head with a fire extinguisher, according to two law enforcement officials.
  21. ^ Daly, Matthew; Balsamo, Michael (January 9, 2021). "Deadly siege focuses attention on Capitol Police". Associated Press. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  22. ^ Duehren, Andrew (January 8, 2021). "Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick Dies of Injuries Sustained at Riot". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  23. ^ Balsamo, Michael (February 28, 2021). "AP sources: Feds pinpoint suspect in officer's riot death". Associated Press. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  24. ^ So, Linda (January 10, 2021). "U.S. Capitol police officer who died after violent assault 'loved his job'". Reuters. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  25. ^ Perez, Evan; Shortell, David; Wild, Whitney (February 2, 2021). "Investigators struggle to build murder case in death of US Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick". CNN. Archived from the original on February 5, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  26. ^ Schmidt, Michael; Broadwater, Luke (February 11, 2021). "Officers' Injuries, Including Concussions, Show Scope of Violence at Capitol Riot". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 12, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  27. ^ Tom Dreisbach & Tim Mak, Yes, Capitol Rioters Were Armed. Here Are The Weapons Prosecutors Say They Used, Delaware Public Media (March 19, 2021): "Early news reports appear to have gotten this wrong. Some officers were attacked with fire extinguishers, but Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick was actually attacked with an unidentified chemical spray, per court documents...even though Sicknick does not appear to have been attacked with a fire extinguisher, other defendants allegedly did use fire extinguishers as weapons. Matthew Miller is accused of discharging a fire extinguisher on the steps leading to an entrance to the Capitol building. And Robert Sanford allegedly struck three U.S. Capitol police officers in the head with a fire extinguisher."
  28. ^ Jansen, Bart (March 2, 2021). "'We all want to know': FBI, Capitol police remain mum on what killed Officer Brian Sicknick". USA Today. Archived from the original on March 13, 2021. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  29. ^ Perez, Evan; Shortell, David; Kelly, Caroline (February 10, 2021). "New video helping investigators in search for suspects in US Capitol police officer's death". CNN. Archived from the original on February 23, 2021. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  30. ^ Perez, Evan; Kelly, Caroline (February 26, 2021). "FBI identifies suspect in death of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, sources say". CNN. Archived from the original on February 27, 2021. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  31. ^ a b Lynch, Sarah N. (March 22, 2021). "Detention ordered for suspect in chemical spraying of U.S. Capitol officers". Reuters. Archived from the original on March 22, 2021. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  32. ^ a b "Two men arrested and charged for assaulting Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick". CNN. March 15, 2021. Archived from the original on March 15, 2021. Retrieved March 16, 2021. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |authors= ignored (help)
  33. ^ a b Viswanatha, Aruna; Gurman, Sadie (March 15, 2021). "Two Men Arrested in Assault on Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on March 24, 2021. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  34. ^ Williams, Pete (April 19, 2021). "Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick died of natural causes after riot, medical examiner says". NBC News. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  35. ^ Fischer, Jordan; Flack, Eric (April 19, 2021). "Officer Brian Sicknick died of natural causes, medical examiner says". WUSA.
  36. ^ Multiple sources:
  37. ^ "Brian Sicknick: US Capitol riot policeman 'died of natural causes'". BBC News. April 19, 2021. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  38. ^ Christensen, Jen (April 20, 2021). "Sicknick death ruled 'natural' but experts say stress can set off strokes". CNN. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
  39. ^ Ciaramella, C.J. (April 20, 2021). "The Confusion Surrounding Brian Sicknick's Death Was a Failure of Government Transparency". Reason magazine. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  40. ^ Chappell, Bill (January 8, 2021). "U.S. Capitol Flag Will Fly At Half-Staff; FBI Offers Reward Over Pipe Bombs". NPR. Archived from the original on February 4, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  41. ^ Perez, Evan; LeBlanc, Paul (January 8, 2021). "Federal murder investigation to be opened in Capitol Police officer's death". CNN. Archived from the original on February 4, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  42. ^ Diamond, Jeremy; LeBlanc, Paul (January 10, 2021). "White House orders flags lowered to honor late police officers who responded to US Capitol breach". CNN. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  43. ^ CBS New York Team (January 9, 2021). "New Jersey Governor Orders Flags At Half-Staff In Honor Of Slain Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick". WCBS-TV. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  44. ^ Associated Press (January 10, 2021). "Flags will fly at half-staff in Virginia to honor slain Capitol Police officer". WTVR-TV. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  45. ^ Loyer, Susan (January 12, 2021). "Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick remembered in his hometown of South River". My Central Jersey. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  46. ^ a b Kelly, Caroline; Hoffman, Jason (February 2, 2021). "Bidens pay their respects to Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick as officer lies in honor at Capitol". CNN. Archived from the original on February 6, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  47. ^ "Biden, Harris pay respects to Capitol officer killed in riot". 6ABC. February 3, 2021. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  48. ^ Clark, Dartunorro (January 29, 2021). "Brian Sicknick, Capitol Police officer who died from riot injuries, to lie in honor in Rotunda". NBC News. Archived from the original on February 5, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  49. ^ Sisk, Richard (January 11, 2021). "Police Officer Who Died After Capitol Riot Should Get Arlington Burial, Army Secretary Says". Military.com. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  50. ^ Gaydos, Ryan (February 7, 2021). "Family of fallen Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, three others honored guests at Super Bowl LV: reports". Fox News. Archived from the original on February 16, 2021. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
Honorary titles
Preceded by Persons who have lain in state or honor
in the United States Capitol rotunda

February 2–3, 2021
Succeeded by