Causes of death for 4 dead in Capitol riot revealed; Officer Brian Sicknick’s still pending
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 06: Police officers in riot gear move protesters who are gathering at the U.S. Capitol Building on January 06, 2021 in Washington, DC. Pro-Trump protesters entered the U.S. Capitol building after mass demonstrations in the nation’s capital during a joint session Congress to ratify President-elect Joe Biden’s 306-232 Electoral College win over President Donald Trump. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
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WASHINGTON (NewsNation Now) — The D.C. Medical Examiner Wednesday revealed the causes of death for the four people who died during the storming of the U.S. Capitol earlier this year. The medical examiner did not release the cause of death for U.S. Capitol police officer Brian Sicknick, saying it is “pending.”
Supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the federal building Jan. 6 as Congress was voting to certify Joe Biden’s electoral win. The riot shocked the world and forced the resignations of multiple top Capitol security officials over the failure to stop the breach. The Justice Department said last month about 300 people have been charged with federal offenses related to the riot.
Ashli Babbitt, 35
Babbitt, an Air Force veteran who identified as a Libertarian and supporter of the Second Amendment, frequently posted unsubstantiated views about election fraud by the former president’s supporters.
Bystander video shows Babbitt was trying to climb through the broken window of a barricaded doorway inside the Capitol when the officer fired.
The medical examiner determined the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the left anterior shoulder. The manner of death was a homicide, which is legally defined as when one human causes the death of another.
Kevin Greeson, 55
His family described him as a supporter of former President Trump’s but denied that he condoned violence.
The medical examiner determined the cause of death was hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The manner of death was natural.
Benjamin Philips, 50
The medical examiner determined the cause of death was hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The manner of death was natural.
Rosanne Boyland, 34
Her family said she was a recovering drug addict who wanted to become a sobriety counselor. She believed former President Trump won the November election, and she’d begun following a dark conspiracy theory that circulated online, her family said.
The medical examiner determined the cause of death was acute amphetamine intoxication and the manner of death was an accident.
Officer Sicknick died one day after the insurrection.
U.S. Capitol Police said on Jan. 7 Sicknick “passed away due to injuries sustained while on-duty” and had been “injured while physically engaging with protesters.” The 42-year-old Iraq War veteran returned to his division office after the incident and collapsed. He was taken to a local hospital where he died the following day.
A statement released by his family the week of his death noted “the direct causes of Brian’s injuries remain unknown.”
Sicknick laid in honor in the Capitol rotunda a month after his death– a rare occasion in a place where mostly fallen presidents and high-ranking dignitaries have been venerated.
Two men were arrested and charged last month with assaulting Sicknick during the riot. The men sprayed at least three officers, including Sicknick, with a powerful chemical agent.