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The FBI is investigating 37 people linked to the murder of Constable Brian Sicknick, the Capitol Hill police officer who died after being injured in the pro-Trump riot on Jan.6, according to an FBI memo sent to the private sector and to others on Friday. The Times obtained a copy of the report.
Mr Sicknick was hit with a fire extinguisher as a violent crowd flooded the halls of Congress, according to two law enforcement officials. Lawmakers hid violent protesters under their desks after President Trump encouraged them at a rally to come to Capitol Hill. Mr. Sicknick died in hospital where he was being treated for his injuries.
Fourteen other Capitol Hill police officers were injured in the crowd last week, according to the memo.
Law enforcement officials are bracing for more unrest in the days leading up to the inauguration.
Since the Jan.6 siege, intelligence officials have seen Chinese, Iranian and Russian efforts to stoke violent rhetoric, according to a joint threat assessment dated Thursday. The amplification is consistent with previous efforts to capitalize on divisive Republican rhetoric, such as Russia’s efforts to amplify the misinformation spread by Mr. Trump during the mail-order security campaign.
Inspectors general from several federal agencies, including the departments of Justice and Homeland Security, announced on Friday that they had opened an investigation into the response to the riot on Capitol Hill. Watchdogs will also examine how federal agencies shared their information before the riot.
Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Julian E. Barnes contribution to reports.
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