Authorities have analyzed videos and photographs showing Sicknick getting involved with protesters during the siege, but have not yet identified a time when he suffered his fatal injuries, police officials familiar with the matter said.
Shortly after Sicknick died on January 7, prosecutors in Washington opened a federal murder investigation, dedicating a team from the US attorney’s office to set up a case, officials said.
To date, little information has been publicly shared about the circumstances of the death of the 13-year-old veteran of the police force, including any results of an autopsy conducted by the DC coroner.
In a statement the day after the insurrection, Capitol Police said Sicknick had been “injured while physically engaging the protesters” and passed out as a result of his injuries some time after returning to his office. He died the next day at a local hospital.
In the case of Sicknick, it is not yet publicly known what caused him to collapse on the night of the insurrection. The results of a medical examiner’s analysis have not yet been released and the authorities have not made any announcement about the ongoing process.
According to a law enforcement official, coroners have found no signs that the officer has suffered any blunt trauma, so investigators believe the first reports that he was fatally hit by a fire extinguisher are not true.
One possibility that is being considered by investigators is that Sicknick fell ill after interacting with a chemical irritant, such as pepper spray or bear spray, which was implanted in the crowd. But investigators who analyzed the video of the policeman’s time on Capitol Hill could not confirm this on the tape that has been recovered so far, the official said.
The case could also be complicated if Sicknick had a pre-existing medical condition. It couldn’t be learned if he did.
A US Capitol Police spokeswoman declined to comment on the story, citing the ongoing investigation.
Accusations in other attacks on the police
As part of the investigation into the riots, several have been charged with assaulting a federal officer as a result of violent episodes on Capitol Hill, separate from the one involving Sicknick.
In court documents, FBI agents exposed elements of the attacks faced by police officers in alarming detail. More than 100 police officers were injured in the confusion, including at least 15 police officers who needed hospitalization, according to court documents.
A man can be seen in a surveillance video attacking uniformed police officers from the Capitol Police and the DC Metropolitan Police Department with a metal baseball bat, according to an FBI testimony.
Another man allegedly threw a fire extinguisher at a group of police officers, hitting three on the head, says a statement.
Lying in honor
Sicknick’s case, however, will go unresolved when he arrives in the capital at a ceremony on Tuesday night, before an exhibition period for members of his police force.
A tribute to Congress will be held on Wednesday morning, according to information released by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Because of the pandemic, the ceremony will be closed to the public. Later that day, Sicknick will leave the Capitol before a burial at Arlington National Cemetery.
“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. “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.”
In an email on Tuesday, a spokeswoman for the Sicknick family declined to comment on the progress of the investigation into the policeman’s death.
The Sicknick family thanked the leaders of Congress and expressed appreciation “to the millions of people who offered their support and solidarity during this difficult period”.
“Knowing that our personal tragedy and loss are shared by our nation brings hope for a cure,” the family said in a statement released over the weekend.