A United States Capitol Police officer died on Thursday night of injuries sustained “during physical involvement” with a pro-Trump crowd that fell on the US Capitol the day before, the fifth fatality linked to the chaos that involved the the country’s capital on Wednesday, according to authorities.
The officer, Brian D. Sicknick, died at around 9:30 pm on Thursday, Capitol Police said in a statement. He has been with the agency since 2008.
The circumstances surrounding his death were not immediately clear, and the Capitol Police said only that he had “died of injuries sustained during the service”.
At some point in the turmoil – with the mob bustling through the halls of Congress as lawmakers were forced to hide under their desks – Sicknick was hit by a fire extinguisher, according to two police officers.
“He went back to his division’s office and collapsed,” Capitol Police said in a statement. “He was taken to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.”
The homicide section of the Washington police department is one of several law enforcement agencies involved in an investigation into his death and the general circumstances of the violence on Capitol Hill.
Sicknick’s death brings the death toll to five in Wednesday’s chaos to five. A participant in the pro-Trump riot, Ashli Babbitt, was fatally shot by a Capitol Police officer inside the building while climbing a broken window that led to the speaker’s lounge. Three other people died after experiencing what were believed to be medical emergencies in the area around the Capitol, police said.
The loss of life underscored the failure of law enforcement to prevent a siege of the Capitol by a band of Trump supporters, prompted by the president’s own words.
Lawmakers in both chambers and both parties have pledged to find out how those responsible for Capitol security have allowed a violent crowd to infiltrate the building. House Democrats announced a “robust” investigation into the collapse of law enforcement.
Three of Congress’ top security officials – Capitol Police Chief Steven A. Sund, Arms Sergeant Paul D. Irving and Senate Arms Sergeant Michael C. Stenger – announced their resignations on Thursday.
The Presidential Transition
Sergeants in arms are responsible for security in the chambers and related office buildings, while Mr. Sund supervised some 2,000 members of the Capitol Police – a force greater than that of many small towns.
On Friday, Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio, a Democrat who heads the House’s budget subcommittee that oversees the budget of the Capitol Police, expressed sadness in a Twitter post about Mr. Sicknick’s death.
“This tragic loss is a reminder of the bravery of the security forces that protect us every day,” wrote Ryan.
Dozens of police and emergency response teams lined the streets of the Capitol for a moment of silence to honor Sicknick on Thursday night. They stood in lines at the Constitution and 3rd Streets, silently saluting as a police raid from Sicknick passed through the city, according to videos from local reporters at the scene.
The police force said in its own statement that “the entire USCP department expresses its deepest condolences to Officer Sicknick’s family and friends for his loss, and regrets the loss of a friend and colleague.”
Officials said some 50 policemen were injured while the crowd flocked to the barricades, threw objects, slammed doors, smashed windows and crushed some of the policemen who were trying to resist the advancing crowd.
Capitol Police reported 14 arrests during the raid, including two people who were accused of assaulting a police officer. Local police arrested dozens of others, mainly in connection with the illegal entry and curfew violations in the city on Wednesday night.
Emily Cochrane and Katie Benner contributed reports.