Capitol Police Officer Dies After Being Struck With A Fire Extinguisher In Trump Riots

Officer Brian D. Sicknick died late Thursday after being injured in clashes with pro-Trump rioters

More than 24 hours after Trump supporters left a rally where the president encouraged them to go to the Capitol and “be strong,” a Capitol police officer who was injured in the ensuing riots has died.

Officer Brian D. Sicknick died at about 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, according to a statement released by the Capitol police force. He had been a part of the force since 2008.

The release says, “Officer Sicknick was responding to the riots on Wednesday, January 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol and was injured while physically engaging with protesters. He returned to his division office and collapsed. He was taken to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.”

“The entire USCP Department expresses its deepest sympathies to Officer Sicknick’s family and friends on their loss, and mourns the loss of a friend and colleague,” the statement reads. “We ask that Officer Sicknick’s family, and other USCP officers’ and their families’ privacy be respected during this time.”

According to The New York Times, two law enforcement officials say Sicknick was struck with a fire extinguisher by members of the mob.

That brings the death toll for the pro-Trump riots to five. One Trump supporter, a woman later identified as an Air Force veteran, was shot by Capitol police while trying to climb into the building through a window she and other rioters had just broken. Three others died of “medical emergencies” during the riots, though few details about the specifics of those deaths have been released.

Since Wednesday’s riots, Trump has been far quieter than usual on Twitter (even after his temporary ban from the platform for inciting violence was lifted). His administration has seen a number of top officials resign in protest, including two members of his Cabinet. Calls for the president to resign have been increasing, and at least one Republican has joined the ranks of the many Democrats in Congress who have been calling for Trump to be removed from office, either by invoking the 25th Amendment to the Constitution, or through a speedy impeachment.

On Thursday, Trump released his first statement since he was silenced across social media platforms for praising and encouraging the rioters. Reading from a teleprompter in a flat voice, he acknowledged for the first time since losing the election that there would be a new president on Jan. 20.