Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who died earlier this month after responding to a deadly rebellion within the U.S. Capitol, will be paying tribute to the building, officials said on Friday.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., And Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., announced the tribute.
“The US Congress is united in mourning, gratitude and solemn appreciation for the service and sacrifice of Officer Brian Sicknick,” said Pelosi and Schumer in a joint statement. “The heroism of Officer Sicknick and the Capitol police force during the violent uprising against our Capitol helped save lives, defend the temple of our democracy and ensure that Congress was not diverted from our duty to the Constitution. His sacrifice reminds us every day of our obligation to our country and to the people we serve.
The late Capitol Police, Brian Sicknick, will be in the state on Capitol Hill next week before being buried at Arlington National Cemetery
(US Capitol Police)
“On behalf of the House of Representatives and the Senate, it is our great privilege to pay tribute to Officer Sicknick with this lie ceremony in honor,” the statement continued. “May this ceremony and the knowledge that so many mourn and pray for them be a comfort to Officer Sicknick’s family during this sad period.”
Sicknick, a member of the department’s First Aid Unit who joined the force in July 2008 and previously served six years in the New Jersey National Air Guard, died a day after being hit on the head by a fire extinguisher when a crowd pro-Trump attacked the Capitol on January 6.
He passed out after the attack and was taken to a local hospital, where he later died. His death is being investigated as a homicide.
The siege took place while Congress certified President Biden’s Electoral College victory and after a “Stop the Steal” rally, in which Trump repeated baseless allegations of electoral fraud. In the days that followed, Capitol Police officers were hailed as heroes, as they were at a great disadvantage in numbers by the troublemakers involved in vandalism, property destruction and assault.
In total, five people died as a result of the insurrection. On Tuesday, the acting capitol police chief, Yogananda Pittman, apologized to Congress for his department’s response.
“I am here to offer my sincere apologies on behalf of the Department,” she said in an opening statement during a hearing from the House Appropriations Committee. “But I am also here to say what we are doing to protect the United States Capitol from future threats – whether domestic or foreign.”
Sicknick’s body will arrive at the Eastern Capitol Front on Tuesday morning. A screening period will begin at 10 am for members of the Capitol Police and continue through the night. Congressional lawmakers will be able to watch a two-hour screening period on Wednesday morning.
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A tribute to Congress will follow shortly thereafter for the guests only due to the coronavirus pandemic. A departure ceremony will be held later that day, before Sicknick is taken to Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
Two Capitol Police officers were honored at the Capitol Rotunda in 1998, after being shot when an attacker opened fire inside the building. Officer Jacob J. Chestnut Jr. and Detective John M. Gibson died.
Gibson exchanged shots with the sniper and his actions allowed other officers to subdue the sniper, according to House, Art & Historical Archives.