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The death is under investigation by the homicidal arm of the DC Metropolitan Police Department, the United States Capitol Police, and their federal partners.
“Officer Sicknick was responding to the riots on Wednesday January 6, 2021 at the United States Capitol and was injured while physically engaging with protesters. He returned to his division office and collapsed. He collapsed. was taken to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, ”the statement said.
Sicknick had joined the Capitol Police in July 2008 and had recently served in the department’s first responder unit.
“The entire USCP department expresses its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Officer Sicknick for their loss, and mourns the loss of a friend and colleague,” Capitol Police said.
Prior to serving in the Capitol Police, Sicknick, a native of New Jersey, was a staff sergeant in the New Jersey Air National Guard. He also served in Operation Enduring Freedom.
“Officer Sicknick gave his life protecting the United States Capitol and, by extension, our democracy itself, from a violent insurgency. His needless murder at the hands of a mob determined to overthrow the Constitution he had dedicated his life to upholding is shocking. It’s shocking. I sincerely hope that the rioters whose actions directly contributed to his death will be quickly identified and brought to justice, ”New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said in a statement on Friday.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has ordered the flags on the Capitol building to be lowered to half staff in honor of Sicknick. The flag atop the White House had not been lowered by mid-morning Friday, but the White House issued a statement regarding his death.
“Whenever a member of the security forces dies in the line of duty, it is a solemn reminder that he is running into danger to keep the peace. The president and the entire administration address our prayers to the family of Capitol Cop Brian Sicknick as we all mourn the loss of this American hero, “said Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere.
Vice President Mike Pence called Sicknick’s family to express his condolences on Friday afternoon, a source close to the call said.
Sicknick is the fifth person to die from Wednesday’s insurgency. A woman was shot and killed by Capitol Police as crowds entered the building and three others suffered medical emergencies that proved fatal.
Shortly after 1 p.m. ET on Wednesday, hundreds of pro-Trump protesters broke through barriers erected along the perimeter of the Capitol, where they clashed with officers in full riot gear, with some calling the officers “traitors” for have done their job.
About 90 minutes later, police said protesters entered the building and the doors to the House and Senate were locked. Shortly after, the floor of the house was evacuated by the police. Vice President Mike Pence was also evacuated from the chamber, where he was to play his part in the counting of the votes.
An armed standoff took place at the front door of the House at around 3 p.m. ET, and police officers fired their guns at someone attempting to walk through it.
As a result of this episode, U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund resigns. He said in a statement earlier Thursday that Capitol Police and other law enforcement officials had been “actively attacked” with metal pipes and other weapons.
“They were determined to enter the Capitol building causing great damage,” Sund said.
“The violent attack on the United States Capitol was unlike any I have experienced in my 30 years of law enforcement here in Washington, DC,” he added. “Maintaining public safety in an open environment – especially for First Amendment activities – has long been a challenge.”
Still, lawmakers say they are puzzled by law enforcement’s lack of preparedness, given that it has been known for weeks that Trump was promoting a rally he said was aimed at preventing certification of the victory for Biden.
Representative Mike Quigley, an Illinois Democrat who was locked in the House chamber during an armed confrontation between Capitol Police and a rioter, praised officers in the building who put their life threatening, but made it clear that they were outnumbered and law enforcement was being prepared.
“The Capitol Police I was in did an incredible job under difficult circumstances,” Quigley told CNN. “I wasn’t worried about the bravery of the Capitol police. It was that an hour before the debate started, I watched the crowds of people surrounding the different sections of the Capitol and said we don’t have enough security. “
Quigley added: “I am not a security expert, but you can say we were passed in an hour before the debate,” referring to the work of Congress to certify Biden’s victory.
CNN’s Phil Mattingly and Rachel Janfaza contributed to this report.
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