The FBI is investigating 37 people related to the murder of police officer Brian Sicknick, the Capitol police officer who died after being injured during the pro-Trump riot on January 6, according to an FBI memo sent to the private sector and others on Friday. market. The Times obtained a copy of the report.
Sicknick was hit by a fire extinguisher while a violent crowd flooded the corridors of Congress, according to two police officers. Lawmakers hid under their tables of violent protesters after President Trump encouraged them during a rally to address the Capitol. Mr. Sicknick died in the hospital where he was receiving treatment for his injuries.
Fourteen other Capitol police officers were injured in the crowd last week, the memo said.
Law enforcement officials are preparing for further unrest in the days leading up to the inauguration.
Since the Jan. 6 siege, intelligence officials have seen Chinese, Iranian and Russian efforts to spur violent rhetoric, according to a joint threat assessment dated Thursday. The expansion is consistent with previous efforts to take advantage of divisive republican rhetoric, such as Russian efforts to amplify the misinformation spread by Trump during the campaign on the security of postal voting.
Inspectors general at several federal agencies, including the Justice and Homeland Security departments, announced on Friday that they had opened an investigation into the response to the Capitol riot. Guards will also examine how federal agencies shared intelligence before the turmoil.
Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Julian E. Barnes contributed reports.