A U.S. Capitol Police officer died a day after clashing with a pro-Trump crowd at the U.S. Capitol.
Officer Brian D. Sicknick was injured while engaging with protesters on Wednesday and returned to his division’s office, where he passed out, Capitol Police spokeswoman Eva Malecki said. He was taken to a hospital, where he died around 9:30 pm on Thursday.
Sicknick, who joined the US Capitol Police in 2008, is the fifth person to die in Wednesday’s violent clash in Washington.
Capitol Police shot dead an Air Force veteran and fervent supporter of Trump, who was part of the crowd that managed to enter the building. Three other people died in “medical emergencies” after the rebellion, officials said.
News of the policeman’s death comes shortly after Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund resigned amid criticism of the department’s response to protesters who broke through the barricades, vandalized the building and clashed with the police.
Sund’s resignation will take effect on Jan. 16, just days before President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, a police spokeswoman said on Thursday. The head of the department’s union also called for a “change at the top”.
