U.S. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick suffered two strokes and died of natural causes a day after the Jan. 6 Capitol breach, the D.C. Medical Examiner's office confirmed on April 19, ending speculation that he was beaten to death by Trump supporters.
The examiner said he found no evidence of internal or external injuries, but he added that “all that transpired played a role in his condition.” Diaz didn't elaborate, citing privacy laws.
Two men are accused of assaulting Sicknick by spraying a chemical irritant—possibly bear mace—during the Capitol breach. But Diaz told the Post there's no evidence suggesting Sicknick suffered an allergic reaction, saying that such a reaction would have caused the officer's throat to close.
Sicknick, 42, collapsed and died hours after returning to the office on Jan. 7, Diaz said. He suffered two strokes at the base of his brain stem, the examiner said, which was caused by a clot in an artery that provides blood to that part of his brain. It isn't clear whether Sicknick had a medical condition that would cause that.
With the development, prosecutors will likely have a much harder time pursuing homicide charges related to Sicknick's death.
Then-Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen stated on Jan. 8 that the officer died of "injuries he suffered defending the U.S. Capitol," and added that an investigation was underway, while the Capitol Police said Sicknick died as he was "engaging with protesters."
Julian Elie Khater, 32, of Pennsylvania, and George Pierre Tanios, 39, of Morgantown, West Virginia, were charged with assaulting Sicknick with a chemical spray, officials said in March.
According to court documents, prosecutors said that Khater told Tanios to "give me that bear [expletive]," possibly referring to bear spray, which is a nonlethal deterrent designed to stop aggressive behavior in bears and other wildlife. The documents then stated that Khater is seen in a video spraying a canister into the face of Sicknick and other officers.
Sicknick's mother in late February disputed the account that her son was beaten.
The D.C. Medical Examiner's office didn't respond to a request for comment by press time.