Death of Brian Sicknick

Death of Brian Sicknick
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.
LocationUnited States Capitol, Washington, D.C., U.S.
DateAttack:
January 6, 2021 (2021-01-06)
Death:
January 7, 2021 (2021-01-07)
Attack type
Assault
WeaponPepper spray
VictimBrian Sicknick
PerpetratorsJulian Khater
George Tanios
VerdictPleaded guilty
ConvictionsKhater:
Assaulting an officer with a dangerous weapon (2 counts)
Tanios:
Disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building (2 counts)[1]
SentenceKhater:
6+23 years in prison
Tanios:
10 months in prison

On January 7, 2021, a United States Capitol Police (USCP) officer, Brian Sicknick, died after suffering two strokes the day after he responded to the attack on the U.S. Capitol during which he was assaulted with pepper spray[2][3] by two rioters.[4] 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.[5]

Within a day of his death, the U.S. Capitol Police and the U.S. Justice Department announced that his death was due to injuries from the attack.[6][7][8] For several weeks, several media sources incorrectly reported Sicknick had died after being struck in the head with a fire extinguisher during the unrest, citing two "anonymous law enforcement officials" as their source.[9][10][11] Months later, however, the Washington, D.C. medical examiner reported that Sicknick had died as a result of two strokes, classifying his death as due to natural causes,[a] but later commented that "all that transpired played a role in his condition".[9][4][13] The ruling was criticized by some expert neurologists, who argued that stress resulting from the insurrection at the Capitol may have caused the stroke.[14] The medical examiner found no evidence that Sicknick had an allergic reaction to the pepper spray.[9]

Sicknick's death was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department's Homicide Branch, the USCP, and the FBI.[7] On March 14, Julian Khater and George Tanios were arrested for assaulting Sicknick with a chemical spray.[15] On January 28, 2023, Khater was sentenced to almost seven years in prison for assaulting an officer with a chemical irritant.[4][16][17][18] The assailant was given a presidential pardon on January 20, 2025, by Donald Trump.[19]

  1. ^ "Defendants From New Jersey And West Virginia Sentenced For Assaulting Officers During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach". January 27, 2023.
  2. ^ Department of Justice (September 1, 2022). "New Jersey Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Officers With a Dangerous Weapon During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach". justice.gov. Archived from the original on June 9, 2023. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  3. ^ Cohen, Marshall; Polantz, Katelyn (April 27, 2021). "US Capitol rioters charged in Sicknick case were armed with bear spray but only used pepper spray, prosecutors say". CNN. Archived from the original on January 9, 2022. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c Hermann, Peter; Hsu, Spencer S. (April 19, 2021). "Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who engaged rioters, suffered two strokes and died of natural causes, officials say". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 20, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  5. ^ Santucci, Jeanine (February 2, 2021). "Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick lies in honor at the Capitol; Biden pays respects". USA Today. Archived from the original on February 23, 2021. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
  6. ^ Diaz, Jaclyn; Chappell, Bill; Moore, Elena (January 7, 2021). "Police Confirm Death Of Officer Injured During Attack On Capitol". NPR. Archived from the original on November 18, 2023. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  7. ^ a b "Loss of USCP Officer Brian D. Sicknick" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: United States Capitol Police. January 7, 2021. Archived from the original on January 8, 2021. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  8. ^ Ciaramella, C. J. (April 20, 2021). "The Confusion Surrounding Brian Sicknick's Death Was a Failure of Government Transparency". Reason. Archived from the original on May 17, 2021. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  9. ^ a b c Viswanatha, Aruna (April 21, 2021). "Officer Brian Sicknick: What We Know About His Death". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021.
  10. ^ Greenberg, Jon; McCarthy, Bill (April 20, 2021). "Update: Capitol police officer Brian Sicknick died of natural causes". PolitiFact. Archived from the original on April 22, 2021. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
  11. ^ Palma, Bethania (February 16, 2021). "Did U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick Die After Hit With a Fire Extinguisher?". Snopes. Archived from the original on April 29, 2021. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
  12. ^ Hardy, Jennifer (April 19, 2021). "Officer's death after insurrection was ruled "natural causes"". KLKN. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
  13. ^ Multiple sources
  14. ^ "Sicknick death ruled 'natural' but experts say stress can set off strokes". CNN.
  15. ^ Hsu, Spencer; Hermann, Peter (March 15, 2021). "Two arrested in assault on police officer Brian D. Sicknick, who died after Jan. 6 Capitol riot". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 15, 2021. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  16. ^ Neidig, Harper (May 11, 2021). "Judge denies bail for two men charged with assaulting Sicknick during Capitol riot". The Hill. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  17. ^ Breuninger, Kevin (March 15, 2021). "Two arrested, charged with assaulting police officer Brian Sicknick, who died after Capitol riot". CNBC. Archived from the original on June 29, 2021. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
  18. ^ Owen, Quinn (January 28, 2023). "Jan. 6 rioter who maced Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick sentenced to nearly 7 years". ABC News. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  19. ^ Cohen, Marshall; Perez, Evan; Reid, Paula; Rabinowitz, Hannah; Treene, Alayna (January 20, 2025). "Trump commutes sentences of Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders as he pardons over 1,000 January 6 US Capitol rioters". cnn.com.


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