U.S. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick passed away after suffering two strokes. According to the medical examiner, he died of natural causes, and not as a result of his confrontation with rioters as the media has previously reported.
Chief Medical Examiner Francisco Diaz confirmed that Sicknick did not die from an allergic reaction to bear spray and he was not beaten to death by a fire extinguisher. Instead, two separate strokes took his life. But that is not what was told to the American people following the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
For months, media outlets, the U.S. Attorney, and many Democrats claimed that the officer’s death was the fault of former President Trump and protesters. The FBI had refused to confirm how the officer died.
The official cause of death was from “acute brainstem and cerebellar infarcts due to acute basilar artery thrombosis.” The medical examiner reported that Sicknick was doused with bear spray at approximately 2:20 p.m. on Jan. 6 and collapsed at about 10 p.m. that evening. The officer passed away at approximately 9:30 p.m. on Jan. 7. Diaz vaguely told the The Washington Post that the riot “played a role in his condition.”
Two men were arrested for assaulting Sicknick with bear spray during the course of the Capitol riot: George Pierre Tanios, 39, of Morgantown, West Virginia, and Julian Elie Khater, 32, of State College, Pennsylvania. Authorities did not charge them with Sicknick’s death, but they do face charges that include conspiracy to injure an officer and assaulting a federal officer with a dangerous weapon. Each charge could get them a maximum of 20 years behind bars and a $250,000 fine. Both have pleaded not guilty.
(Video Credit: Fox News)
The cause of death all but ensures that the Justice Department will be unable to pursue murder charges in Sicknick’s death.
Sicknick “was injured while physically engaging with protesters,” Capitol Police previously claimed. “He returned to his division office and collapsed. He was taken to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.” His mother had stated that she believed her son died of a stroke.
the death investigation. Officer Sicknick’s family has asked for privacy during this difficult time + that the spreading of misinformation stop regarding the cause of his death. The Department + the Sicknick family appreciate the outpouring of support for our fallen officer.
— Catherine Herridge (@CBS_Herridge) February 27, 2021
The officer was cremated and his ashes were honored at the Capitol on February 3 with many politicians attending. A medical examination would have taken place before the cremation and yet it took three months for the cause of death to be released.
Capitol Police released a statement on Monday saying that it “accepts the findings from the Office of the Medical Examiner, but this does not change the fact Officer Brian Sicknick died in the Line of Duty, courageously defending Congress and the Capitol.”
“The Department continues to mourn the loss of our beloved colleague. The attack on our officers, including Brian, was an attack on our democracy,” the statement said, doubling down on previous statements.
US Capitol Police issue a statement in response, saying in part, “This does not change the fact Officer Sicknick died in the line of duty, courageously defending Congress and the Capitol.” pic.twitter.com/DLsLSdwoF0
— Elizabeth Landers (@ElizLanders) April 19, 2021
Conservatives were outraged after the ruling by the medical examiner. Radio host Buck Sexton was very blunt: “Anyone who tells you it takes over 3 months after an autopsy to figure out if someone died from a stroke is either an idiot or a liar This information was hidden from you on purpose.”
Anyone who tells you it takes over 3
months after an autopsy to figure out if someone died from a stroke is either an idiot or a liarThis information was hidden from you on purpose
— Buck Sexton (@BuckSexton) April 19, 2021
Sexton is far from alone. Many want an explanation concerning the determination of death and the length of time it took to release it:
With Sicknick confirmed to have died of natural causes, the blue checks’ attempt to frame the event as a sort of domestic 9/11, including by calling it “1/6”, unravels.
It was a dumb, impotent riot, and that’s that. By the way, a lot of outlets need to run a lot of corrections.
— Sohrab Ahmari (@SohrabAhmari) April 20, 2021
Officer Sicknick died of NATURAL CAUSES. Why all the LIES?!
— Greg Kelly (@gregkellyusa) April 20, 2021
CNN’s media newsletter tonight goes out of its way to hide from readers the single biggest media story of the day: the actual facts of Officer Sicknick’s natural death, which CNN obsessively mis-reported as the result of violence. Straight up disinformation and propaganda.
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) April 20, 2021
Why did it take over three months to determine how Officer Sicknick died?This doesn’t make any sense. Only person killed January 6 was an unarmed woman killed by a policeman. Imagine media outcry if she had not been a Trump supporter. The media narrative has now collapsed.
— Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) April 19, 2021
I wonder if any of the pundits and elected officials who laid blame for Officer Sicknick's death on President Trump will have the courage or decency to apologize, withdraw their remarks and admit they were 100% wrong.
— Bo Snerdley (@BoSnerdley) April 19, 2021
So are you saying that poor Officer Sicknick’s cause of death was known by at least some —prior to his cremation weeks before Trump left office but it wasn’t announced (or leaked?) for 2 months?
— Sharyl Attkisson🕵️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) April 19, 2021
These people never gave the slightest shit about Brian Sickick. He was a toy to them: they needed to create a lie about how he died because he was the only one they could claim was killed by pro-Trump protesters. So they invented a harrowing story that was complete bullshit.
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) April 19, 2021
Sicknick story is just incredible / the level of BS and disinformation from DOJ and Capitol Police – the fact they waited 3 months to release this while the media spent everyday rejoicing in spreading the lie of Trump supporters murdering a cop. What a total joke.
— Rob Schmitt (@SchmittNYC) April 19, 2021
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