U.S. Capitol police said in a statement that Officer Brian D. Sicknick, 42, was injured “while physically speaking to protesters” during Wednesday’s riot. He is the fifth person to die from the fighting.
Officer Sicknick’s brother made the following statement to ABC News:
“After a day of fighting for his life, he passed away a hero. I want to thank all his siblings in law enforcement for the incredible compassion and support they have shown to my family. My family and I hope we can have privacy be respected while we are grieving. Thank you. “
The racketeering that shocked the world and left the country on the verge forced the resignations of three top security officials from Capitol over the failure to stop the offense. This led to lawmakers having to demand a review of the operations and an FBI briefing on what they call a ‘terrorist attack’. And that leads to a broader reckoning over Trump’s term and what comes next for a torn nation.
WATCH: Full coverage of the chaos at the Capitol
Protesters were urged by Trump earlier Wednesday during a rally near the White House to go to Capitol Hill, where lawmakers were scheduled to confirm Biden’s presidential victory. The mob quickly broke through police barricades, smashed windows and paraded through the halls, hiding lawmakers.
One protester, a white woman, was shot dead by Capitol police, and there were dozens of arrests. Three other people died after ‘medical emergencies’ related to the offense.
Images from January 6, 2021
Despite Trump’s repeated allegations of voter fraud, election officials and his own former attorney general said there were no problems on the scale that would change the outcome. All states have confirmed their results by Republican and Democratic officials as fair and accurate.
Senator Ben Sasse, R-Neb., Said the news of the death of the police officer was a gut attack.
“None of this should have happened,” Sasse said in a statement. “Lord, have mercy.”
Sicknick returned to his branch office after the incident and collapsed, the statement said. He was taken to a local hospital where he died Thursday.
Two House Democrats in committees overseeing Capitol’s police budgets have said those responsible should be held accountable for the ‘senseless’ deaths.
“We must ensure that the mob that attacked the People’s House and those who incited them are held fully accountable,” Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Ct., And Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, said. in a statement.
Earlier Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said any remaining day with the president in power could be “a horror program for America.” Similarly, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said the attack on the Capitol “is an uprising against the United States, incited by the president”, and Trump may not stay in office for another day. .
WATCH: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calls on Cabinet to call on the 25th Amendment
Pelosi and Schumer are calling for the 25th Amendment to the Constitution to force Trump out of office before President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated on January 20. Schumer said he and Pelosi tried early Thursday to call Vice President Mike Pence to discuss the option, unable to contact him.
WATCH: Vice President Pence addresses Congress as resumption of Electoral College certification
At least one Republican lawmaker has joined the effort. The procedure allows the vice president and a majority of the cabinet to declare the president unfit for office. The vice president then becomes acting president.
Pelosi said if the president’s cabinet does not act quickly, the House could continue to accuse Trump.
Trump, who has repeatedly refused to concede the election, did so in a late-Thursday video of the White House promising a “seamless transition of power.”
Two Republicans leading the contest, Ted Cruz of Texas and Josh Hawley of Missouri, have faced angry peers in the Senate. Cruz defends his objection to the election results as ‘the right thing to do’ because he unsuccessfully tried to launch a congressional inquiry. In the House, Republican leaders, Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California, and Rep. Louis Scalise of Louisiana added to the failed. attempt to thwart Biden’s victory by objecting to the outcome of the election college.
WATCH: Joe Biden calls on the Capitol gang to ‘retreat’, urges to restore decency
With great tension, the Capitol closed and lawmakers would not return to the inauguration, and an uncomfortable sense of stalemate settled over a headquarters of the national power while Trump remained full of holes in the White House.
The social media giant Facebook has banned the president from his platform and Instagram for the duration of Trump’s last days in office, if not indefinitely, citing his intention to provoke unrest. Twitter had silenced him the previous day.
SEE ALSO: Twitter shuts down Trump account after tweets about DC protesters were removed
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said “the shocking events” made it clear that Trump “intends to use his remaining time in office to undermine the peaceful and legal transition of power.”
U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund was forced to resign under pressure from Schumer, Pelosi and other congressional leaders. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called for the resignation of Senate Coat of Arms member Michael Stenger and received immediate effect. Paul Irving, the longtime sergeant at Arms of the House, also resigned.
WATCH: Mitch McConnell breaks down from Trump in blasphemous speech
Sund defended his department’s response to the Capitol’s storms, saying officers “acted bravely with thousands of individuals involved in violent riots”.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser called the police response “a failure”.
WATCH: Legislators hang out while officers resign with mob
Lawmakers from both parties have undertaken to investigate and question whether a lack of preparedness is enabling a crowd to occupy and vandalize the building. The Pentagon and the Department of Justice were turned down when they offered help.
Especially black lawmakers noticed how treated with the mostly white Trump supporters.
Newly elected representative Cori Bush, D-Mo., Said if “we as black people did the same things that happened … the reaction would have been different, we would have been laid to rest.”
WATCH: Political analyst discusses day of chaos
The protesters looted the place, took over the House area and the Senate chamber and waved Trump, American and Confederate flags. Outside, they scaled down the walls and balconies.
Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., A former police chief, said it was “painfully obvious” that Capitol police were “unprepared.”
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Associated Press authors Mary Clare Jalonick, Zeke Miller, Alan Fram, Padmananda Rama and Michael Balsamo in Washington contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2021 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved.