Death of Brian Sicknick
On January 7, 2021, a United States Capitol Police (USCP) officer, Brian Sicknick, died after suffering two strokes the day after he responded to an attack on the U.S. Capitol. The District of Columbia chief medical examiner found that Sicknick had died from stroke, classifying his death as natural and additionally commented that "all that transpired played a role in his condition", a decision which was criticized by some expert neurologists, who have stated that stress from the attack may have very well caused the stroke. 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.
| 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. | |
| Location | United States Capitol, Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Date | Attack: January 6, 2021 Death: January 7, 2021 |
Attack type | Assault |
| Weapon | Pepper spray |
| Victim | Brian Sicknick |
| Perpetrators | Julian Khater George Tanios |
| Verdict | Pleaded guilty |
| Convictions | Khater: Assaulting an officer with a dangerous weapon (2 counts) Tanios: Disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building (2 counts) |
| Sentence | Khater: 6+2⁄3 years in prison Tanios: 10 months in prison |
Multiple media outlets reported Sicknick's death was due to injuries he sustained, but months later the Washington, D.C. medical examiner reported there were no injuries to Sicknick. Within a day after his death, the U.S. Capitol Police and the U.S. Justice Department each said that his death was due to injuries from the attack. Meanwhile, media, citing two anonymous law enforcement officials, incorrectly reported for weeks that Sicknick had died after being struck in the head with a fire extinguisher during the unrest.
Sicknick's death was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department's Homicide Branch, the USCP, and the FBI. On March 14, Julian Khater and George Tanios were arrested for assaulting Sicknick with a chemical spray and for other charges. The medical examiner found no evidence that Sicknick had an allergic reaction to the chemical spray. Prosecutors later said on April 27 that the chemical spray was pepper spray. On January 28, 2023, Khater was sentenced to almost seven years in prison for assaulting an officer with a chemical irritant.