Capitol police officer Brian Sicknick, who died earlier this month after responding to a deadly riot in the U.S. Capitol, will be honored in the building, officials said Friday.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., announced the tribute.
“The U.S. Congress is united in sadness, gratitude and appreciation for the service and sacrifice of Officer Brian Sicknick,” Pelosi and Schumer said in a joint statement. “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.” sacrifice reminds us every day of our commitment to our country and to the people we serve.
The late Capitol police officer Brian Sicknick will be in the Capitol state next week before being buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
(US Capitol Police)
“On behalf of the House of Representatives and the Senate, it is our great privilege to pay tribute to Officer Sicknick with this honor,” the statement continued. “May this ceremony and the knowledge with which so many mourn with them be a comfort to the family of Officer Sicknick during this sad time.”
Sicknick, a member of the division’s first response unit who joined the force in July 2008 and previously served six years in the New Jersey Air National Guard, died a day after being hit by a fire extinguisher in the head. was struck when a pro-Trump crowd stormed the Capitol on January 6th.
He collapsed after the attack and was taken to a local hospital, where he later died. His death is being investigated as a manslaughter.
The siege took place while Congress was ratifying the president of Biden’s Electoral College and following a “Stop the Steal” march in which Trump reiterated unfounded claims of election fraud. In the days that followed, Capitol police officers were considered heroes because they were badly counted by rioters who engaged in vandalism, property destruction and assault.
In all, five people died as a result of the uprising. Yogananda Pittman, acting police chief of the Capitol, on Tuesday apologized to Congress for the reaction of her department.
“I am here to offer my sincere apologies on behalf of the department,” she said in an opening statement during a hearing on the House Determination Committee. “But I’m also here to tell you what we’re doing to secure the American Capitol from future threats – domestic or foreign.”
Sicknick’s body will arrive at the Eastern Front of the Capitol on Tuesday morning. A viewing period begins at 10 a.m. for Capitol Police members and will continue overnight. Congressmen can view a two-hour period on Wednesday morning.
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Shortly afterwards, a tribute to invited guests follows only due to the coronavirus pandemic. A funeral service will be held later in the day before Sicknick is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
Two Capitol police officers were honored in the Capitol Rotunda in 1998 after being shot dead when an assailant opened fire on the building. Officer Jacob J. Chestnut, Jr., and Detective John M. Gibson both passed away.
According to the House, Art & Historical Archives, Gibson exchanged gunfire with the shooter and other officers made it possible to subject other officers.