Feds seek attacker in officer’s riot death
WASHINGTON – Federal investigators probing the death of a U.S. Capitol Police officer killed in the Jan. 6 riot have zeroed in on a person seen on video appearing to spray a chemical substance on the officer before he later collapsed and died, two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.
The FBI has obtained video that shows the person spraying Brian Sicknick and other law enforcement officers during the Jan. 6 riot, the sources said. But they cautioned that federal agents haven’t yet identified the attacker by name and the act hasn’t been directly tied to Sicknick’s death.
The idea that Sicknick died after being sprayed by a chemical irritant has emerged in recent weeks as a new hypothesis in the case.
Investigators initially believed that Sicknick had been hit in the head with a fire extinguisher, based on statements collected early in the investigation, according to one of the sources and another law enforcement official briefed on the case. But as they’ve collected more evidence, their thinking has evolved and investigators now believe Sicknick may have ingested a chemical substance during the riot that may have contributed to his death, the officials said.
The people could not publicly discuss the details of an investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Sicknick died after defending the Capitol against the mob that stormed the building as Congress was voting to certify Joe Biden’s electoral win over Donald Trump.
The attack came after Trump urged supporters on the National Mall to “fight like hell” to overturn his defeat.
The FBI has already released about 250 photos of people being sought for assaulting federal law enforcement officers during the riot.