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COP KILLED

Who was Brian Sicknick and how did the Capitol police officer die?

CAPITOL Officer Brian Sicknick was murdered after rioters stormed the Capitol building in a bid to halt Electoral College vote certification.

He was one of five people .

Officer Brian D. Sicknick died after being present at the Capitol protests
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Officer Brian D. Sicknick died after being present at the Capitol protests

Who was Brian D. Sicknick?

Brian D. Sicknick, 42, was a US Capitol police officer and military veteran.

He enlisted in the National Guard after graduating high school in 1997, deploying to Saudi Arabia and then Kyrgyzstan.

Sicknick joined Capitol Police in 2008 after serving in the New Jersey Air National Guard.

How did the Capitol Police officer die?

Officer Brian D. Sicknick was fatally hurt in a clash with rioters during the on Wednesday, January 6, 2021.

He returned to his division office where he later collapsed.

It is believed

Sicknick suffered two strokes and died the day after confronting the , the District’s chief medical examiner said on Monday, April 19, 2021.

The medical examiner said it was caused by a clot in an artery that supplies blood to that area of the body.

Violent riots broke out outside the Capitol in response to lawmakers affirming President-elect’s Joe Biden's victory in the November election
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Violent riots broke out outside the Capitol in response to lawmakers affirming President-elect’s Joe Biden's victory in the November election

Francisco J. Diaz told the  that there was no evidence the cop 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 claimed there was also no evidence of internal or external injuries to the officer and said

At the time, the officer was taken to a nearby hospital where he was placed on life support, according to Capitol Police union chairman Gus Papathanasiou.

He died of his injures around 9.30pm on Thursday, January 7, the US Capitol Police confirmed.

As well as invading the House and Senate chambers, which drove members of Congress into hiding, Trump supporters attacked police "with metal pipes, discharged chemical irritants, and took up other weapons against our officers," US Capitol Police said.

were in response to of .

Has anyone been arrested for Brian Sicknick's death?

Two men - 32-year-old Julian Elie Khater of Pennsylvania and 39-year-old George Pierre Tanios of West Virginia - were arrested in March and charged with assaulting Sicknick.

According to the , 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.

More thanin relation to Sicknick's murder.

Officers guarding Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021
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Officers guarding Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021Credit: AP

In a video of the riot, a man is heard saying: “They broke through, it’s on!”

Moments later, a rioter throws a fire extinguisher toward a group of officers below, striking one on the helmet.

It is unclear if the struck cop was Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick.

What have Capitol Police said?

In a statement shared by the US Capitol Police, Sicknick's family remembered him as a "lovely, humble soul",

They praised his dedication to his job at the Capitol, and described how the heartbreaking loss "will leave a large hole" in their hearts.

The Sicknick family said: "He was sweet natured through and through. Everyone who met him adored him.

"He loved his job with the US Capitol Police, and was very passionate about it.

"He also had an incredible work ethic. He was very serious about showing up to work on time and refused to call out sick unless absolutely necessary."

US Capitol Police released a statement about the officer's death after his passsing.

They said: "At approximately 9.30pm this evening (January 7, 2021), United States Capitol Police Officer Brian D. Sicknick passed away due to injuries sustained while on-duty.

"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.

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"He returned to his division office and collapsed.

"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."

Crowd of police pay tribute to US Capitol officer Brian D. Sicknick killed after being hit by fire extinguisher during MAGA riot
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