Police arrest protesters during the Jan. 6 storming of Congress.
After announcing the death of four protesters in the U.S. Capitol on January 6, authorities announced the death of a Capitol Police officer on January 7. But the U.S. media and the Capitol Police said confusing, several reversals, and finally the official finalized as “death from injuries sustained in the clash”.
On the evening of January 7, Gus Papathanasiou, president of the Capitol Police Officers’ Union, announced that a 40-year-old Capitol Police officer had died of a stroke while at work on the 6th. But Papathanasiou did not mention the name of the police officer or whether he was on duty at the site of the congressional conflict at the time of his death.
Thirty minutes after Papastanasio’s announcement, WUSA-TV reporter Bruce Leshan tweeted that Papastanasio had changed his story to say that he had prematurely announced the officer’s death, but that the officer had not yet died and was still on life support in the hospital until his family arrived.
The conservative website “Gateway Pundit” (TGP) quoted sources as saying that the police officer had a “medical emergency” (probably a stroke) while on duty, and that it was impossible to determine whether the incident was related to the storming of Congress.
But several U.S. media quoted sources from other officials as saying that a Capitol police officer was “killed by protesters with a fire extinguisher” during the clashes. But until 8:30 p.m. that night, a police spokesman denied the claim, saying that media reports of Capitol police deaths were “inaccurate” and that while some officers were injured in the clashes, no police officers had died yet.
But shortly after, the Capitol Police stated on its official website that Brian D. Sicknick, a Capitol Police officer, died around 9:30 p.m. that night from injuries sustained on the job.
The statement said Sicknick was injured during the congressional clash, collapsed after returning to his department office and died from his injuries after being taken to the hospital.
Numerous videos surfaced online following the congressional clashes showing police using pepper spray, water cannons and violent repression against protesters. One of them, a female veteran with bare hands, was fatally shot by police. In addition, three other protesters died of what police said were strokes, heart attacks and suspected trampling.
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