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

Published

3 years ago

February 23, 2021

The mother of Brian Sicknick, the Capitol Police officer who died following the violent January 6 Capitol riot, said Monday that she’s still unsure about the cause of her son’s death, believing that it was not a hit to the head with a fire extinguisher.

While investigators have yet to release a cause of death for Sicknick over a month after his death, his mother Gladys Sicknick said she has largely been kept in the dark.

“He wasn’t hit on the head no. We think he had a stroke, but we don’t know anything for sure,” she told The Daily Mail. “We’d love to know what happened.”

The 42-year-old Officer Sicknick was first confirmed to have died on January 7, with Captiol Police saying in a statement at the time that he “was injured while physically engaging with protesters” and “returned to his division office and collapsed” and “was taken to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.”

On January 8, The New York Times reported that rioters had hit Sicknick in the head with a fire extinguisher while citing two law enforcement officers. The newspaper ultimately issued a correction for the report on February 11 in a separate piece, asserting: “Investigators have found little evidence to back up the attack with the fire extinguisher as the cause of death, the official said. Instead, they increasingly suspect that a factor was Officer Sicknick being sprayed in the face by some sort of irritant, like mace or bear spray, the law enforcement official said.”

Also on January 8, it was reported by investigative journalism site ProPublica that Sicknick’s family had communicated with him after he was injured and that there was no talk about a fire extinguisher. At the time, the family was heading to Washington from New Jersey, Sicknick’s home state.

According to his brother Ken Sicknick, Brian Sicknick texted him after he returned to the police department.

“He texted me last night and said, ‘I got pepper-sprayed twice,’ and he was in good shape,” Ken Sicknick, his brother, told ProPublica. “Apparently he collapsed in the Capitol and they resuscitated him using CPR.”

Sicknick was later placed on a ventilator, family members say, and passed away before they made it to the hospital to see him.

You can follow Douglas Braff on Twitter @Douglas_P_Braff.

Related Topics:brian sicknick capitol police capitol riots jan 6 New York Times

Featured

Historic House Vote Expels Rep. George Santos Amidst Scandal

Published

3 days ago

December 1, 2023

Alexander Carter

In a turn of events, the House of Representatives made history on Friday with a vote to expel Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), marking the first such expulsion in over two decades. A moment fraught with gravity unfolded as Speaker Mike Johnson wielded his gavel to formalize Santos’ removal, setting a precedent in congressional annals.

Santos, indicted on 23 counts related to wire fraud, identity theft, and other charges, has not faced conviction but stands accused of misusing campaign funds for opulent purchases. The bipartisan vote, tallying 311 to 114, signaled robust support for expulsion, with a marginally higher number of Republicans opting to retain Santos.

Questions loomed as Speaker Johnson left the chamber, his silence leaving the fate of the ongoing government spending battle uncertain. According to reports from Fox News, Democratic Rep. Steny Hoyer emphasized the non-partisan nature of the decision, asserting that members concluded Santos had tarnished the House’s reputation and was unfit for representation.

Within the GOP, conflicting opinions emerged, with Rep. Darrell Issa arguing against expulsion, citing the presumption of innocence. The tight-lipped stance of the House Ethics Committee played a pivotal role in the deliberations.

Conversely, members of the New York Republican delegation, led by Rep. Marc Molinaro, asserted Santos’ commission of crimes, justifying expulsion based on a comprehensive investigation.

Santos himself predicted the outcome in an exclusive morning interview on “FOX & Friends.” This vote not only underlines the House’s rare use of expulsion powers but also sets a critical precedent in handling members facing severe legal challenges.