Two men charged over assault of US Capitol police officer Brian Sicknick who died after January riot
- Investigators initially believed that Sicknick was hit in the head with a fire extinguisher, based on statements collected early in the investigation
- The idea that Sicknick died after being sprayed by a chemical irritant has emerged in recent weeks as a new theory in the case
US officials have arrested and charged two men with assaulting US Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick with bear spray during the January 6 riot, but they do not know yet whether it caused the officer’s death.
George Tanios, 39, of Morgantown, West Virginia, and Julian Khater, 32, of Pennsylvania, were arrested on Sunday. They were expected to appear in federal court on Monday.
The idea that Sicknick died after being sprayed by a chemical irritant has emerged in recent weeks as a new theory in the case.
Investigators initially believed that Sicknick was hit in the head with a fire extinguisher, based on statements collected early in the investigation, according to two people familiar with the case. But as they have collected more evidence, the theory of the case has evolved and investigators now believe Sicknick may have ingested a chemical substance – possibly bear spray – that may have contributed to his death, officials have said.
Khater is the man in a video obtained by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that showed him spraying Sicknick and others with bear spray, according to court papers. The act has not been directly tied to Sicknick’s death.
“Give me that bear (expletive),” Khater said to Tanios on the video, according to court papers. Sicknick and other officers were standing guard near metal bike racks, the papers say.