Police officer’s death intensifies questions about Capitol siege
WASHINGTON >> A police officer has died from injuries suffered as President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed t he C a pi - tol, a violent siege that is forci n g hard questions about the defeated president ’ s r ema i n i n g days in office and the ability of the Capitol Police to secure the area.
The U. S. Capitol Police said in a statement that Officer Brian D. Sicknick was injured “while physically engaging with protesters” during the Wednesday riot. He is the fifth person to die because of the Capitol protest and violence.
During the struggle at the Capitol, Sicknick, 42, was hit in the head with a fire extinguisher, two law enforcement officials said. The officials could not discuss the ongoing investigation publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
His family said in a statement Friday that Sicknick wanted to be a police officer his entire life. He served in the New Jersey Air National Guard before joining the Capitol Police in 2008.
“Many details regarding Wednesday’s events and the direct causes of Brian’s injuries remain unknown, and our family asks the public and the press to respect our wishes in not making Brian’s passing a political issue,” the family said.
The rampage that has shocked the world and left the country on edge forced the resignations of three top Capitol security officials over the failure to stop the breach. It has led lawmakers to demand a review of operations and an FBI briefing over what they called a “terrorist attack.” And it is prompting a broader reckoning over Trump’s tenure
in office and what comes next for a torn nation.
Protesters were urged by Trump during a rally near the White House earlier Wednesday to head to Capitol Hill, where lawmakers were scheduled to confirm Biden’s presidential victory. The mob swiftly broke through police barriers, smashed windows and paraded through the halls, sending lawmakers into hiding.
One protester, a woman from California, was shot to death by Capitol Police, and there were dozens of arrests. Three other people died after “medical emergencies” related to the breach.
Despite Trump’s repeated claims of voter fraud, election officials and his own former attorney general have said there were no election problems on a scale that
would change the outcome. All the states have certified their results as fair and accurate, by Republican and Democratic officials alike.
Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., said news of the police officer’s death was “gutwrenching.”
“None of this should have happened,” Sasse said in a statement. “Lord, have mercy.”
Sicknick had returned to his division office after the incident and collapsed, the statement said. He was taken to a local hospital where he died late Thursday.
Trump did not personally comment on the officer’s death, but a White House spokesman said the death of any police officer in the line of duty is “a solemn reminder that they run toward danger to maintain peace.” Trump and the entire administration “extend our prayers to Officer Brian Sicknick’s family as we all grieve the loss of this American hero,” spokesman Judd Deere said.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said those responsible for Sicknick’s death “must be brought to justice.”
“The violent and deadly act of insurrection targeting the Capitol, our tem
ple of American democracy, and its workers was a profound tragedy and stain on our nation’s history,” Pelosi said Friday. She ordered flags at the Capitol lowered to half- staff in Sicknick’s honor.
Pelosi said Thursday that any remaining day with the president in power could be “a horror show for America.” Likewise, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said the attack on the Capitol was “an insurrection against the United States, incited by the president,” and Trump must not stay in office “one day” longer.
Pelosi and Schumer called for invoking the 25th Amendment to the Constitution to force Trump from office before President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated on Jan. 20. Schumer said he and Pelosi tried to call Vice President Mike Pence early Thursday to discuss that option but were unable to connect with him.
At least one Republican lawmaker joined the effort. The procedure allows for the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet to declare the president unfit for office. The vice president then becomes acting president.
His family said in a statement Friday that Sicknick wanted to be a police officer his entire life.