Two Capitol Hill Rioters Charged with Assault Leading to Death of Officer Brian D. Sicknick
The U.S. Department of Justice charged two Capitol Hill rioters on March 14 in the deadly assault of Brian D. Sicknick, a Capitol Police officer. The violent clash by rioters during the January 6 riot on the Capitol led to five fatalities, including Officer Sicknick, a New Jersey native.
These arrests are the first two made linking any of the Capitol Hill rioters to any of the five deaths resulting from the mayhem.
Life-long friends and suspects George Pierre Tanios, 39, of West Virginia, and Julian Elie Khater, 32, of Pennsylvania, were arrested and charged with assaulting numerous police officers, including Officer Sicknick. The two accused men were charged with attacking officers with a chemical spray.
Although Officer Sicknick died one day after suffering injuries sustained during the Capitol Hill riots, the Justice Department did not charge the two suspects with murder.
The exact cause of death for Officer Sicknick has not yet been determined. The medical examiner has not yet finalized his report, which will include toxicology results.
Capitol Police released a statement on January 7 that Officer Sicknick was “injured while physically engaging with protesters” but was able to return to headquarters, where he collapsed before being taken to the hospital, where he later died.
The initial theory about the cause of Officer Sicknick’s injuries and death was that he had been struck with a fire extinguisher. Officials changed this cause of the officer’s severe injuries and death to say an irritant was the likely cause of his injuries. About three Capitol Hill officers were sprayed with a chemical irritant during the violent attack.
A few weeks ago, the Justice Department said that investigators used videos taken during the January Six D.C. riots to identify multiple suspects. Among the numerous videos often posted on social media, investigators discovered footage of Tanios and Khater discussing attacking officers, including Officer Sicknick, with the chemical spray.
The FBI pinpointed Tanios and Khater on the video shot during the January Six riot. FBI Special Agent Riley Palmertree, who wrote the search warrant application, said the two suspects were ”working together to assault law enforcement officers with an unknown chemical substance by spraying officers directly in the face and eyes.”
Investigators first identified one of the two riot suspects while he attacked multiple officers with the chemical spray. The irritant is believed to be similar to a chemical bear spray after Khater grabbed the spray from Tanios’ backpack and said, “Give me that bear sh-t.”
There’s also footage of Khater reaching into Tanois' backpack while saying, “Give me that bear sh-t" as Khater is later "seen holding a white can with a black top that appears to be a can of chemical spray," the application said.
A Capitol Police officer wearing a body camera shows Khater as he held “a canister in his right hand and aiming it in the officers’ direction while moving his right arm from side to side.”
Palmertree created a copious report and detailed warrant, including details about the chemical attack against numerous officers during the riot.
Palmertree said, ”The officers immediately retreat from the line, bring their hands to their faces, and rush to find water to wash out their eyes. The officers were temporarily blinded by the substance, were temporarily disabled from performing their duties and needed medical attention and assistance from fellow officers."
Both suspects will appear in federal court on March 22. About three hundred people have been identified and arrested due to their participation in the January 6 riot.
