The United States Capitol Police (USCP) has confirmed the death of the officer who was injured during a violent riot in support of President Donald Trump at the Capitol building on Wednesday.
CNN previously reported, citing sources, that an officer involved in dispersing the pro-Trump riot had died, however, USCP initially refuted this information.
“At approximately 9:30 p.m. [02:30 GMT on Friday] this evening (January 7, 2021), U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian D. Sicknick passed away due to injuries sustained while on duty.
“Officer Sicknick was responding to the riots on Wednesday, January 6, at the U.S. Capitol and was injured while physically engaging with protesters,” the statement said.
This is the fifth victim relating to the protests in Washington.
Earlier, it became known that U.S. Air Force veteran Ashley Babbitt, a strong supporter of Trump, had been fatally shot by police during the raid on the Capitol.
Trump’s supporters violently stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday in a bid to prevent Congress from certifying the election results.
The protesters attacked police with metal pipes and chemical irritants, damaged property, seized the inauguration stage and occupied the rotunda inside the Capitol building.
The attack came after Trump urged his supporters to keep fighting to overturn the election results.
On Thursday, Trump said that he was “outraged” by the violent riot at the Capitol and confirmed that he was working to ensure a smooth transition of power to President-elect, Joe Biden and his administration.