Nation

BREAKING: Two men charged with assaulting Capitol Police officer Sicknick

Published

2 years ago

March 15, 2021

Staff Writer

BREAKING STORY

Two men have been charged with assaulting late Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick with a chemical spray on January 6 during the attack on the U.S. Capitol, according to arrest warrants unsealed on Monday.

On Sunday, 32-year-old Julian Elie Khater of Pennsylvania and 39-year-old George Pierre Tanios of Morgantown, West Virginia were arrested, with the pair expected to appear in court on Monday, The Washington Post was first to report. The two were identified through video footage and other means spraying Sicknick outside the Capitol Building the day of the riot, the court documents say.

It should be noted that the suspects have not been charged with homicide. At this point, prosecutors have not directly implicated anybody in bringing about Sicknick’s death, since no official cause of death has been declared yet, which has drawn inquiry from lawmakers about what occurred.

MORE ON BRIAN SICKNICK: W ray can’t confirm cause of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick’s death

MORE ON BRIAN SICKNICK: Mother of late Capitol Police Officer Sicknick says she doesn’t believe her son was hit with fire extinguisher

You can follow Douglas Braff on Twitter @Douglas_P_Braff.

Featured

Trump: Tanks to Ukraine could escalate to use of ‘NUKES’

Published

4 days ago

January 26, 2023

Alexander Carter

Former President Donald Trump stated bluntly on Truth Social, “FIRST COME THE TANKS, THEN COME THE NUKES. Get this crazy war ended, NOW. So easy to do!”

Trump was referring to the escalation of war in Ukraine. He, like many other commentators and lawmakers, are warning that the decision to continue sending weapons – and now tanks – could potentially lead to the use of “nuclear weapons.”

It’s mission creep and it’s dangerous, they say.

Why? Because Russian President Valdimir Putin has indicated in two different speeches that he would use nuclear weapons to defend Russia, if needed. Those warnings are not just bluster but a very real possibility.

And the escalation of war is visible.

Russia launched 55 missiles strikes across Ukraine Thursday, leaving 11 dead. The strikes come one day after the United States and Germany agreed to send tanks to Ukraine in an effort to aide the country. 47 of the 55 missiles were shot down according to Ukraine’s Air Force command.

Eleven lives were lost and another 11 were injured additionally leaving 35 buildings damaged in the wake of the attacks. According to The New York Times, Denys Shmyhal, said in a post on Telegram. “The main goal is energy facilities, providing Ukrainians with light and heat,” he said.

Ukraine is now demanding that they need F-16 fighter jets. In a post on twitter Ukrainian lawmaker, Oleksiy Goncharenko said, “Missiles again over Ukraine. We need F16.”

Morning. Missiles again over Ukraine. We need F16.

— Oleksiy Goncharenko (@GoncharenkoUa) January 26, 2023

The US has abstained from sending advanced jets in the chances that a volatile decision could foster more dangerous attacks like former President Trump’s post on Truth referred to. If the US did authorize the decision to lend Ukraine the F-16 jets Netherlands’ foreign minister, Wopke Hoekstra, would be willing to supply them. According to The New York Times, Hoekstra told Dutch lawmakers, “We are open-minded… There are no taboos.”

F-16 fighter jets are complex to work on, they are not the average aircraft that can be learned in a matter of weeks. It can take months for pilots to learn how to fly these birds. European and US officials have the concern that Ukrainian forces could potentially use the jets to fly into Russian airspace and launch attacks on Russian soil.

Western allies are trying to avoid such a provocation, because that could lead to nuclear warfare in reference to what Putin has said he would do to defend his country.