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Death of Brian Sicknick
American police officer (1978ā2021) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
On January 7, 2021, a United States Capitol Police (USCP) officer, Brian Sicknick, died after suffering two strokes the day after he responded to an attack on the U.S. Capitol.[2] The District of Columbia chief medical examiner found that Sicknick had died from stroke, classifying his death as natural[lower-alpha 1] and additionally commented that "all that transpired played a role in his condition",[4][2][5] a decision which was criticized by some expert neurologists, who have stated that stress from the attack may have very well caused the stroke.[6] His cremated remains were laid in honor in the Capitol Rotunda on February 2, 2021, before they were buried with full honors at Arlington National Cemetery.[7]
Death of Brian Sicknick | |
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Part of the January 6 United States Capitol attack | |
![]() President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden attend the viewing for Sicknick's remains at the Capitol on February 2, 2021. | |
Location | United States Capitol, Washington, D.C., U.S. |
Date | Attack: January 6, 2021 (2021-01-06) Death: January 7, 2021; 3 years ago (2021-01-07) |
Attack type | Assault |
Weapon | Pepper spray |
Victim | Brian Sicknick |
Perpetrators | Julian Khater George Tanios |
Verdict | Pleaded guilty |
Convictions | Khater: Assaulting an officer with a dangerous weapon (2 counts) Tanios: Disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building (2 counts)[1] |
Sentence | Khater: 6+2ā3 years in prison Tanios: 10 months in prison |
Multiple media outlets reported Sicknick's death was due to injuries he sustained, but months later the Washington, D.C. medical examiner reported there were no injuries to Sicknick.[4] Within a day after his death, the U.S. Capitol Police and the U.S. Justice Department each said that his death was due to injuries from the attack.[8][9][10] Meanwhile, media, citing two anonymous law enforcement officials, incorrectly reported for weeks that Sicknick had died after being struck in the head with a fire extinguisher during the unrest.[4][11][12]
Sicknick's death was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department's Homicide Branch, the USCP, and the FBI.[9] On March 14, Julian Khater and George Tanios were arrested for assaulting Sicknick with a chemical spray and for other charges.[13] The medical examiner found no evidence that Sicknick had an allergic reaction to the chemical spray.[4] Prosecutors later said on April 27 that the chemical spray was pepper spray.[14][15] On January 28, 2023, Khater was sentenced to almost seven years in prison for assaulting an officer with a chemical irritant.[2][16][17][18]