Death of Brian Sicknick

On January 7, 2021, a United States Capitol Police (USCP) officer, Brian Sicknick, died in a hospital the day after collapsing at the U.S. Capitol after suffering two strokes. Sicknick had responded to the attack on January 6, during which he had been assaulted with pepper spray by two rioters. His cremated remains were laid in honor in the Capitol Rotunda on February 2, 2021, before they were buried with full honors at Arlington National Cemetery.

Within a day of his death, the U.S. Capitol Police and the U.S. Justice Department announced that his death was due to injuries from the attack. For several weeks, several media sources incorrectly reported Sicknick had died after being struck in the head with a fire extinguisher during the unrest, citing two "anonymous law enforcement officials" as their source. Months later, however, the Washington, D.C. medical examiner reported that Sicknick had died as a result of two strokes, classifying his death as due to natural causes, later commenting that there was no evidence Sicknick had suffered either an allergic reaction or any internal or external injuries, while noting "all that transpired played a role in his condition". The ruling was criticized by some expert neurologists, who argued that, as traumatic events can lead to stroke, the stress resulting from the insurrection at the Capitol may have directly caused Sicknick's stroke.

Sicknick's death was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department's Homicide Branch, the USCP, and the FBI. On March 14, 2021, Julian Elie Khater and George Pierre Tanios were arrested and charged with assaulting Sicknick with a chemical spray. They were not charged in connection with Sicknick's death. On July 27, 2022, Tanios pleaded guilty to lesser misdemeanor charges unrelated to the assault on Sicknick. On January 28, 2023, Khater was sentenced to almost seven years in prison for assaulting two officers, including Sicknick, with a dangerous weapon. Both Khater and Tanios were pardoned on January 20, 2025, by Donald Trump on the first day of his second administration as part of his blanket pardon to nearly all people convicted of or charged with offenses related to the Capitol attack.