Capitol police officer Brian Sicknick ‘died from natural causes’ examiner says after rioters charged with assaulting him
THE COP who died following the violence at the US Capitol on January 6 passed away from natural causes, a medical examiner has ruled.
It comes after two rioters were charged with assaulting officer Brian D. Sicknick by spraying a powerful chemical irritant at him.
Sicknick suffered two strokes and died the day after confronting the rioters at the Capitol, the District’s chief medical examiner said on Monday.
Francisco J. Diaz told the Washington Post that there was no evidence the 42-year-old had an allergic reaction to the irritants used by the rioters.
He said that the cop’s throat would have seized up quickly if he had suffered an allergic reaction.
Diaz also said there was also no evidence of internal or external injuries to the officer.
“All that transpired played a role in his condition,” he added, noting that Sicknick was among the cops to confront the rioters amid the violent storming of Capitol buildings.
Sicknick died on January 7, eight hours after he collapsed on returning to his office duringt he riot.
Diaz told the Post he suffered two strokes at the base of the brain stem.
He said it was caused by a clot in an artery that supplies blood to that area of the body.
Privacy laws prevent him from detailing any previous medical conditions Sicknick may have had.
Four others lost their lives during the riot, all of whom were supporters of former President Donald Trump who were attending his “Stop the Steal” rally that morning in DC.
Capitol police had previousl claimed in a statement that Sicknick “was injured while physically engaging with protesters.”
Their statement added that he then “returned to his division office and collapsed” before succumbing to his injuries at the hospital.
The new ruling on Monday will likely make it difficult for prosecutors to pursue homicide charges in the officer’s death.
Two men – 32-year-old Julian Elie Khater of Pennsylvania and 39-year-old George Pierre Tanios of West Virginia – were arrested last month and charged with assaulting the officer.
According to the Washington Post, the men were taken into custody by US authorities more than two months after the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
A complaint revealed the men were charged after FBI agents were contacted by tipsters, after surveillance images were released to the public.
Arrest papers, obtained by The Post, say Khater was allegedly heard on the video footage talking to Tanios at the Lower West Terrace of the Capitol at 2.14pm.
Khater allegedly uttered the phrase “give me that bear sh*t” to Tanios in the area where Sicknick was standing with other officers alongside bicycle racks.
At one point in the footage, Khater is spotted spraying something into Sicknick’s face, including two other cops, the arrest papers reportedly state.
According to the report, Khater had claimed to have been hit with bear spray during the incident.
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It is unknown if someone will be held criminally responsible in connection with Sicknick’s death, the news outlet explained.
Sicknick served in the military before joining the Capitol police, and was deployed twice overseas.
He was a National Guard veteran who served in Saudi Arabia and Kyrgyzstan.