Exactly a month since the demonstrators invaded the United States Capitol on January 6, the official cause of death for Capitol police officer Brian Sicknick was not disclosed and no one was charged with his death.
The head of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Robert J. Contee III confirmed in a Press conference Thursday the investigation into Sicknick’s death is underway, emphasizing that the police continue to sift through the video evidence in the latest update provided by authorities.
Contee, speaking vaguely, also suggested that Sicknick’s injuries may not have been immediately visible. “This determination is made by the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office, so the MPD’s role in this is to ensure that the medical examiner has all the evidence he needs to make that determination,” he said. “In this situation, with the Capitol uprising, there were hundreds of videos and all that sort of thing – this thing is being analyzed and channeled to them.”
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Contee said the coroner’s office will make a recommendation, “as soon as they have a better understanding of what exactly to treat”, adding that, “sometimes, and not to mention by doctors, when they are evaluating individuals who may not have visible injuries – that kind of thing – you know they need to be very meticulous in their efforts to determine the form and cause of death. “
Exactly how Sicknick died remains a mystery to the public, as an official cause of death has not been released.
Media reports have been conflicting – unidentified police sources initially told the media that Sicknick was beaten on the head by a fire extinguisher, while others who spoke on condition of anonymity contested these claims, arguing that there was no immediate evidence of that Sicknick suffered any blunt trauma.
Because the autopsy results are still pending, investigators are also looking into the possibility that Sicknick died of exposure to a chemical irritant, such as bear apple or pepper spray. It is also unclear whether Sicknick had any pre-existing illness.
The Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Washington, DC, told Fox News on Thursday that its medical examiners “meet the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME) standard for determining the cause and form of death within 90 days; However, for cases that are more complex, it could be longer. “
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“Therefore, when this information is available and the relatives of the deceased are notified, I will only provide you with the cause and form of death,” said coroner Cheryle E. Adams’ special assistant on Thursday, without providing details. .
Lawmakers paid tribute to Sicknick earlier this week, when his remains lied in honor at the Capitol Rotunda before a ceremonial farewell on the steps of Arlington National Cemetery, where he was buried on Wednesday.
In the only public statement issued by the US Capitol Police describing the circumstances of his death, the department said that Sicknick “died of injuries sustained during the service”. He died in the hospital around 9:30 pm on the evening of January 7.
Sicknick “was responding to the riots” on January 6 at the United States Capitol and “was injured while physically engaging protesters,” the statement said. “He went back to his division’s office and passed out. He was taken to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.”
His older brother, Brian Sicknick, told ProPublica in an interview published on January 8 that Sicknick had texted him on the evening of January 6 to say he had received pepper spray, but he felt fine. He told the newspaper that his brother was dead the following night after suffering a stroke.
Brian Sicknick, the late Capitol Policeman, will remain in the state on Capitol Hill before being buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
(US Capitol Police)
“He texted me last night and said, ‘I got pepper spray twice,’ and he was in good shape,” Ken Sicknick told the agency by phone, as the family drove from New Jersey to Washington, DC. “Apparently, he passed out on the Capitol and they resuscitated him using CPR.”
The family later received news that Brian Sicknick had a blood clot and had a stroke and a respirator kept him alive, Ken Sicknick told ProPublica. Authorities have not verified his account and Ken Sicknick has not returned a request for comment from Fox News.
Fox News also requested an update from the United States Capitol Police, but a spokesman declined to comment on an ongoing investigation.
Two days after the insurrection, the Justice Department launched an investigation into Sicknick’s death.
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Acting Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen said in a January 8 statement that the FBI and the DC Metropolitan Police Department will investigate the case together and the Justice Department “will spare no resources to investigate and hold those responsible responsible.” “.
That day, the North American construction unions (NABTU) also announced a $ 100,000 reward for information that led to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for Sicknick’s murder. Still, no suspects have been identified publicly or taken into custody.
Meanwhile, a criminal complaint filed by the Justice Department alleges that Robert Sanford, a retired Pennsylvania firefighter, was captured on video launching what appeared to be a fire extinguisher against a group of police officers in front of the Capitol on January 6. The cops were not mentioned in the statement of facts presented in court, and the authorities have so far not linked Sanford to Sicknick’s death.
Video seen by FBI investigators allegedly shows that the object dropped by Sanford “appears to hit a policeman, who was wearing a helmet, on the head,” court documents say. “The object then bounces off and hits another officer, who was not wearing a helmet, on the head. The object then bounces off a third time and hits a third officer, wearing a helmet, on the head.”
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Sanford was accused of illegal entry to a restricted building or land, disorderly conduct and assault, and resistance or impediment to certain officers in their performance of official duties. Until Thursday, he was not charged with murder.