U.S. Capitol police said in a statement that Officer Brian D. Sicknick, 42, was injured “while physically relating to protesters” during Wednesday’s riot. He is the fifth person to die from melee.
Officer Sicknick’s brother posted the following statement to ABC News:
“After a day of fighting for his life, a hero died. I would like to thank all his police brothers and sisters for the incredible compassion and support they have shown to my family. My family and I hope our privacy can be respected while we grieve. Thank you. “
The fury that has shaken the world and left the country on the brink forced the resignation of three senior Capitol security officials for failing to stop the breach. It led lawmakers to demand a review of operations and an FBI report on what they called a “terrorist attack.” And it’s provoking a broader reckoning about Trump’s tenure and what comes next for a torn nation.
SEE: full coverage of the chaos at the Capitol
Trump urged protesters during a rally near the White House earlier Wednesday to head to Capitol Hill, where lawmakers were to confirm Biden’s presidential victory. The crowd quickly broke through police barriers, smashed windows and marched through the hallways, sending lawmakers into hiding.
One protester, a white woman, was shot dead by Capitol police and there were dozens of arrests. Three more people died after “medical emergencies” related to the breach.
Images from January 6, 2021
Despite Trump’s repeated allegations of voter fraud, election officials and his own attorney general have said there were no problems on a scale that would change the outcome. All states have certified their results as fair and accurate, for both Republican and Democratic officials.
Senator Ben Sasse of R-Neb said the news of the police officer’s death was “stressful”.
“None of this should have happened,” Sasse said in a statement. “Lord, have mercy.”
Sicknick had returned to his division office after the incident and collapsed, according to the statement. He was taken to a local hospital where he died Thursday.
Two House Democrats on committees overseeing Capitol police budgets said those responsible must be held accountable for responding to the “senseless” death.
“We need to make sure that the crowd that attacked the People’s House and those who instigated them took full responsibility,” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, Dt-Ct., And Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio. in a statement.
Earlier Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said any day she stayed with the president in power could be “a spectacle of terror for America.” Similarly, Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer said the attack on the Capitol was “an insurrection against the United States, incited by the president,” and Trump should not remain in office “one more day.” .
SEE: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calls on Cabinet to call for 25th amendment
Pelosi and Schumer called for the invocation of the 25th Amendment to the Constitution to force Trump to step down before President-elect Joe Biden was sworn in on January 20th. unable to connect with him.
SEE: Vice President Pence addresses Congress when Electoral College certification resumes
At least one Republican lawmaker joined the effort. The procedure allows the Vice President and a majority of the Council of Ministers to declare the President unfit for office. The vice president then becomes acting president.
Pelosi said that if the president’s cabinet does not act quickly, the House can proceed to prosecute Trump.
Trump, who had repeatedly refused to grant the election, did so in a video Thursday afternoon of the White House promising a “perfect transition of power.”
Two Republicans who led efforts to challenge the election results, Ted Cruz of Texas and Josh Hawley of Missouri, clashed with angry colleagues in the Senate. Cruz defended his objection to the election results as “the right one,” as he tried unsuccessfully to get Congress to initiate an investigation. effort to nullify Biden’s victory by opposing the results of the Electoral College.
SEE: Joe Biden calls on Capitol crowd to “retire” urges restoration of decency
With tensions high, the Capitol closed and lawmakers had no plans to return until the inauguration, a restless sense of stalemate settled over a main seat of national power while Trump remained in the White House.
The social media giant Facebook banned the president of his platform and Instagram during the last days of Trump, if not indefinitely, alleging his intention to provoke concerns. Twitter had silenced him the day before.
SEE ALSO: Twitter closes Trump’s account after removing tweets about DC protesters
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said the “shocking facts” make it clear that Trump “intends to use his remaining time in office to undermine the peaceful and lawful transition of power.”
U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund, under pressure from Schumer, Pelosi and other congressional leaders, was forced to resign. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called for and received the immediate resignation of Senate Arms Sergeant Michael Stenger. Paul Irving, the longtime Sergeant in Arms of the House, also resigned.
SEE: Mitch McConnell breaks with Trump in a mocking speech
Sund had defended his department’s response to the Capitol assault, saying officers had “acted bravely in the face of thousands of individuals involved in violent riot actions.”
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser called the police response a “failure.”
SEE: Lawmakers crowd in when officers confront the crowd
Lawmakers on both sides pledged to investigate and questioned whether the unpreparedness allowed a crowd to occupy and vandalize the building. The Pentagon and the Justice Department had been turned down when they offered help.
Black lawmakers, in particular, pointed to the way Trump supporters, especially whites, were treated.
Newly elected Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo, said that if “we, as blacks, did the same things that happened … the reaction would have been different, we would have been set on the ground.”
SEE: A political analyst talks about the day of chaos
Protesters looted the site, taking the area of the House and Senate chamber and waving Trump, American and Confederate flags. Outside, they climbed the walls and balconies.
Representative Val Demings, a former police chief, said it was “painfully obvious” that Capitol police “were unprepared.”
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Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick, Zeke Miller, Alan Fram, Padmananda Rama, and Michael Balsamo, Washington, contributed to this report.
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