President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden visited the US Capitol on Tuesday to pay tribute to Brian Sicknick, a US Capitol police officer fatally injured during the uprising on 6 January.
Mr. Biden and the first lady walk fleetingly to Sicknick’s remains and place their right hand over their hearts. None of them made any comments in the Rotunda.
Sicknick’s remains arrived at the Capitol by motorway Tuesday night to be honored. His remains were escorted in the middle steps of the Capitol to the Rotunda.
His former Capitol police colleagues attended a viewing that began at 10 p.m. One by one, they approached Sicknick’s remains and greeted them. On Wednesday, members of Congress will honor the officer before he is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. The ceremonies were closed to the public due to the coronavirus pandemic.
US Capitol Police via AP
“The U.S. Congress is united in grief, gratitude and solemn appreciation for the service and sacrifice of Officer Brian Sicknick,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement Friday. “The heroism of Officer Sicknick and the Capitol police during the violent uprising against our Capitol has helped save lives, defend the temple of our democracy and ensure that Congress is not diverted from our duty to the Constitution. obligation to our country and to the people we serve. ‘
Sicknick’s family thanks those who sent their condolences in a statement Saturday. “The fact that we know our personal tragedy and loss is shared by our country brings hope for healing,” the family said.
The murdered officer joined Capitol Police in 2008 after serving in the New Jersey Air National Guard. Sicknick, 42, suffered a head injury when supporters of the Trump president attacked the Capitol to overthrow the result of the presidential election. He collapsed after returning to his ward office and died at the hospital on January 7.
Sicknick is only the fifth private citizen to invest in the Capitol Rotunda in honor. Others include: Capitol Police Officer Jacob Chestnut and Detective John Gibson, who was shot dead at the Capitol in 1998; civil rights icon Rosa Parks in 2005; and Reverend Billy Graham in 2018.
As of Tuesday, federal prosecutors have charged at least 181 people for their alleged role in the uprising. Former President Trump has been charged with inciting insurgency a few days before leaving office. He is the first U.S. president to be charged twice.