A U.S. Capitol police officer died Thursday night of injuries when he became engaged to a pro-Trump mob who descended on the U.S. Capitol the day before.
Officer Brian D. Sicknick died around 9:30 p.m. on Thursday the Capitol Police said in a statement. He has been with the agency since 2008.
Responding to the riots on Wednesday, Mr Sicknick “was injured while physically engaging with protesters,” the agency said, although officials did not immediately address the nature of his injuries or how the crowd was handled. After the injuries, Mr. Sicknick returned to his department office, collapsed, and was taken to the hospital.
“The entire USCP division expresses its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Officer Sicknick for their loss and mourns a friend and colleague,” the statement said. News outlets reported his death earlier in the day than he did apparently was still life sustaining.
Metropolitan Police Department homicide investigators are involved in the case.
Early Friday morning, Representative Tim Ryan of Ohio, a Democrat who heads the Home Funds Subcommittee that oversees the budget for the Capitol Police, said in a Twitter post that his heart broke over Mr. Sicknick’s death.
“This tragic loss is a reminder of the bravery of the law enforcement officers who protect us every day,” wrote Ryan.
Mr Sicknick’s death brings the death toll from Wednesday’s chaos to five. One of the people who participated in the pro-Trump rampage, Ashli Babbitt, was shot dead by a Capitol police officer inside the building while climbing through a broken window into the speaker’s lobby. Three other people died after apparent medical emergencies in the area around the Capitol, police said.
Officials said about 50 police officers were injured when the mob flooded barricades, threw objects, smashed doors, broke windows, and overpowered some of the police officers who tried to resist the advancing crowd.
Capitol Police reported 14 arrests during the robbery, including two people arrested for assaulting a police officer. Local police arrested dozens of others, mainly for illegal entry and violating the city’s curfew on Wednesday night.
Capitol Police chief Steven Sund announced his resignation Thursday after facing pressure from congressional officials. The NCOs of the House and the Senate also resigned.