US attorney’s office opens federal murder probe into Capitol police officer’s death: reports

Federal authorities will open a murder investigation following a Capitol Police officer’s death after Wednesday’s riots at the Capitol, according to multiple media reports.

The U.S. attorney’s office in Washington, D.C., has opened a federal probe into the death of Capitol Police Officer Brian D. Sicknick, several law enforcement officials told CNN and ABC News. 

Sicknick died Thursday evening after he responded to a violent attack on the Capitol building by a mob who sought to halt Congress’s certification of the 2020 election results. 

“The entire USCP Department expresses its deepest sympathies to Officer Sicknick’s family and friends on their loss, and mourns the loss of a friend and colleague,” a U.S. Capitol Police spokesperson said Thursday night.

Sicknick had sustained injuries while on duty Wednesday while “physically engaging with protestors,” according to a statement from Capitol Police. 

“He returned to his division office and collapsed. He was taken to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries,” the statement continued. 

Capitol Police added at the time that the Metropolitan Police Department and “our federal partners” were going to investigate Sicknick’s death. 

Following reports from the news outlets, acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen issued a statement on Sicknick’s death, stating that the FBI would join the Metropolitan Police Department to probe the incident.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and fellow officers of U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian D. Sicknick, who succumbed last night to the injuries he suffered defending the U.S. Capitol, against the violent mob who stormed it on January 6th” Rosen said.

“The FBI and Metropolitan Police Department will jointly investigate the case and the Department of Justice will spare no resources in investigating and holding accountable those responsible.”

After a rally during which President Trump gave a speech on the National Mall, a mob of his supporters made its way toward the Capitol amid the congressional proceedings to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College win. 

The mob quickly became violent, breaking through Capitol security. The mob broke windows and vandalized lawmakers’ offices. 

The breach also forced both chambers of Congress to evacuate, and lawmakers sheltered in undisclosed locations while the area was cleared. 

Sicknick’s death is the fifth that resulted from Wednesday’s riot. A 35-year-old woman was fatally shot and died amid the tumult, the first fatality reported from the riots that day. 

The Hill has reached out to both the U.S. attorney’s office and the U.S. Capitol Police for comment and confirmation on the reported investigation.

Updated 12:32 p.m.