WASHINGTON — U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who confronted rioters during the insurrection at the Capitol on Jan 6, died of a stroke, the Washington, D.C., chief medical examiner said on Monday.
Sicknick, the medical examiner’s office said in a statement, was “sprayed with a chemical substance” outside the Capitol during the early hours of the riot. About 10 p.m. that night, he collapsed and was taken to a hospital, where he died about 9:30 p.m. the following day.
The medical examiner, Francisco Diaz, concluded that Sicknick, 42, died of natural causes. In March, two men were charged with assaulting Sicknick with the spray, but the Justice Department did not accuse them of causing his death. Early reports suggested that Sicknick had been bludgeoned with a fire extinguisher, but officials later disputed that claim.
A New Jersey native, Sicknick joined the Capitol Police in 2008. Before that, he served in the Air National Guard, which deployed him to Saudi Arabia in 1999. His body lay in honor in the Capitol Rotunda in early February, and President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden were among those who paid tribute.
Two other officers who defended the Capitol against a mob trying to thwart the certification of Biden’s election victory over then-President Donald Trump died by suicide shortly after the attack.
