
Brian David Sicknick (July 30, 1978 - January 7, 2021) was an American war veteran and Capitol Police officer from Virginia who died after attempting to hold back rioters during the 2021 storming of Capitol Hill. Friends and family described him as having been opposed to the Iraq War, but having served in Afghanistan and as being a friendly and compassionate man who enjoyed fishing and was often seen outside carrying his blind dog.
On January 6, 2021, Brian Sicknick was pepper sprayed by supporters of outgoing US president Donald Trump, who were trying to storm the Capitol building. It was also claimed that one of the rioters may have beaten him with a fire extinguisher, but these claims were never proven. He returned to his division officer appearing unharmed, but collapsed and was taken to hospital after a stroke. He was put on a ventilator and died on January 7.
Following an investigation, Julian Elie Khater and George Pierre Tanios were charged with nine federal crimes relating to the attack, including assaulting Sicknick and two other officers. Prosecutors declined to press murder charges, as the medical examiner who did the autopsy said there was no evidence that he had a reaction to the chemicals.
After the ruling, the Capitol Police issued a statement saying that the ruling "does not change the fact Officer Brian Sicknick died in the line of duty, courageously defending Congress and the Capitol."