The Justice Division has charged two males within the assault on Brian D. Sicknick, a Capitol Police officer who died the day after he fought rioters storming the Capitol on Jan. 6, in response to a legislation enforcement official briefed on the case and courtroom paperwork.
The F.B.I. on Sunday arrested George Pierre Tanios, 39, in West Virginia and Julian Elie Khater, 32, in New Jersey on fees of assaulting officers, together with Officer Sicknick, with bear spray.
The arrests got here weeks after investigators pinpointed one of many males in a video of the riot, wherein he was seen attacking a number of officers with the spray, in response to two legislation enforcement officers. The Justice Division has stated in earlier courtroom filings that rioters have been recorded on video speaking about attacking officers, together with Officer Sicknick.
It isn’t clear whether or not Officer Sicknick died due to his publicity to the spray. On Jan. 7, the day that he died, the Capitol Police stated in a press release he “was injured whereas bodily participating with protesters” on the riot a day earlier after which “returned to his division workplace and collapsed.” He later died at a hospital.
Within the hours after Officer Sicknick was rushed to the hospital, Capitol Police officers initially stated that he had been struck with a fireplace extinguisher however later stated that his demise was not attributable to blunt pressure trauma. Within the following days, investigators homed in on the potential position of an irritant as a main consider his demise.