| USA TODAY
Brian Sicknick, Capitol riot officer killed at Rotunda
Brian Sicknick, the officer who died after being hit by a fire extinguisher during the January 6 attack, comes in honor of the Capitol Rotunda.
Staff Video, USA TODAY
The claim: Democrats did not kneel for Capitol police officer Brian Sicknick
The January 6 riot by a pro-Trump crowd at the U.S. Capitol lost five lives, along with at least 140 injured officers from the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department and U.S. Capitol Police. Two other officers were killed by suicide in the weeks following the attack.
Among those killed was U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick. He was hit in the head by a fire extinguisher during the riots and died the next day from his injuries.
President Joe Biden and other lawmakers paid tribute to Sicknick when he was honored in the Capitol Rotunda on Feb. 3 before his funeral at Arlington National Cemetery.
Wrong information surrounding the riot in Capitol has surfaced on social media.
Among the allegations is a post from the conservative Facebook page Patriot Post – which has been removed – which includes a photo of Sicknick, next to a photo of Democratic members of Congress kneeling in memory of black lives who died last year due to police brutality lost.
Although the message was removed from the Patriot Post page, other users shared it; it can be found here and here.
The text on the meme reads: “Officer Brian Sicknick, killed in the service, U.S. Capitol Police, January 7, 2021. Democrats did not kneel for him.”
USA TODAY targeted Facebook users for comment.
More: Fact check: Washington’s military conspiracy theory is false
Lawmakers Honor Sicknick
Sicknick lies in honor of the Capitol Rotunda, a practice reserved since 1852 for prominent Americans.
He joins two other Capitol police officers, Jacob Chestnut and Detective John Gibson, who died in 1998 after an armed intruder passed a Capitol safety point.
During the ceremony on February 3, House President Nancy Pelosi, D-California, named Sicknick a hero and paid tribute to all three of the fallen officers by saying, ‘The courage of these heroes brings glory, brings splendor to our Constitution. and for our democracy. ‘
Pelosi promised Sicknick’s family to ‘never forget his sacrifice’.
“May we be worthy to carry Brian in our hearts with your permission. We will never forget,” Pelosi said.
In addition to Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., And House of Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-California, were at the Capitol for the arrival of Sicknick’s ashes.
That evening, Biden and First Lady Jill Biden visited the Capitol to pay tribute to Sicknick. Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Lord Doug Emhoff also paid tribute.
Dozens of police officers lined up for the ceremonial departure and two officers carried Sicknick’s remains while ‘Amazing Grace’ was played.
His remains were transported to Arlington National Cemetery via Capitol police escort.
Our verdict: Missing context
The claim in the post is assessed as MISING CONTEXT. It refers to a photo from last summer, where Democratic members of Congress knelt down to commemorate black lives lost due to police brutality. // The U.S. Capitol Police Officer, Brian Sicknick, received another honor and recognition, including in the Capitol Rotunda. President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and other prominent lawmakers have all paid their respects to Sicknick.
Our sources for fact checking:
- USA TODAY, 16 June 2020, “Fact check: Yes, Kente cloths have historically been worn by empires involved in the West African slave trade”
- USA TODAY, FEBRUARY 4, “Lawmakers, Biden pay tribute to Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who died in the Capitol riot”
- USA TODAY, Jan. 7, “DC riot updates: Capitol police officer dies of injuries; FBI offers $ 50K reward for information on suspected pipe bombs”
- NBC News, January 28, “Second Capitol riot officer dies by suicide, police chief says
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