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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Liam Buckler

Donald Trump sued over death of police officer assaulted during US Capitol riot

Donald Trump is being sued over the death of a police officer who was assaulted during the US Capitol riots.

Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, 42, was attacked when supporters of the former president stormed the building during the insurrection on January 6.

Sicknick was rushed to hospital but tragically died just a day later of natural causes after suffering two strokes, according to Washington DC's chief medical examiner.

Sandra Garza, his partner, has launched a wrongful death lawsuit against the former president and the two men who assaulted the officer.

Garza said the case stems from the medical examiner who admitted "all that transpired" on 6 January "played a role in his condition".

Sicknick was protecting the Lower West Terrace of the Capitol when he was assaulted with bear spray by Trump supporters.

Brian Sicknick was assaulted with bear spray (US Capitol Police/AFP via Getty)

The officer collapsed to the ground at 10pm on January 6, 2021 and later died in hospital at 9.30pm the following day, according to the lawsuit.

The two men involved in the attack, Julian Khater and George Tanio, were convicted in March and are named in the wrongful death suit.

Garza and Sicknick's family are seeking $10m (£8.4m) from the former president and $10m each from Khater and Tanios following the officer's death.

Sicknick was protecting the e Lower West Terrace of the Capitol when he was assaulted (Demetrius Freeman/AP/REX/Shutterstock)

In the lawsuit it claims Trump "intentionally riled up the crowd and directed and encouraged a mob to attack the US Capitol and attack those who opposed them".

In addition, Trump's supporters believed his statement "be there, will be wild" was an encouragement for violence, according to the lawsuit.

It was on January 6, two years ago today, Congress met to formally count the electoral college votes which confirmed Joe Biden had won the election.

Trump continued with his rhetoric and encouraged his supporters to march on Capitol Hill (Jose Luis Magana/AP/REX/Shutterstock)

However, the former president refused to accept the result as the lawsuit claims Trump "put down his final marker" by incorrectly claiming vice president Mike Pence could stop the vote.

Trump continued with his rhetoric and encouraged his supporters to march on Capitol Hill.

Sicknick was a Capitol Police officer since 2008 and had served in the New Jersey Air National Guard.

Dozens of Trump supporters were arrested and five people died after hundreds of people stormed their way to Capitol Hill and demanded the election result to be overturned.

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