Police officer dies after sustaining injuries during riots at Capitol building

A police officer is now the fifth person to die as a result of injuries sustained during the Capitol riots earlier this week.

Per CNN, DC Metropolitan Police officer Brian Sicknick died at approximately 9.30 pm EST on Thursday, January 7, as a result of injuries sustained while on-duty when the pro-Trump election protest turned violent.

CNN reports that Sicknick joined the department back in July of 2008, and most recently served in the Capitol's First Responders Unit.

Credit: PA Images

In an official press statement, a spokesperson for the department wrote:

"Officer Sicknick was responding to the riots on Wednesday, January 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol and was injured while physically engaging with protesters.

"He returned to his division office and collapsed. He was taken to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

"The entire USCP Department expresses its deepest sympathies to Officer Sicknick's family and friends on their loss, and mourns the loss of a friend and colleague."

Four other people lost their lives as a result of the incident on Wednesday, January 6, in which armed pro-Trump protestors stormed the Capitol building and interrupted Congress.

Things turned violent at the scene, forcing Vice President Mike Pence and a number of politicians and journalists to be evacuated.

Ashli Babbit, a 35-year-old former Air Force veteran, has since been identified as one of the dead.

In a press conference held on late on Wednesday night, Metropolitan Police Department Chief Robert J. Contee III delivered the news of Babbit's death, stating:

"One Capitol police officer discharged his service weapon, striking an adult female... This is a tragic incident and I send my condolences to the victim’s family and friends."

Contee added that the shooting of Babbit would be investigated by MPD's internal affairs division "as we investigate all officer-involved deaths in the District of Columbia, including ones from other agencies."

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Speaking to NBC 7, Babbit's brother-in-law Justin Jackson stated:

"Ashli was both loyal as well as extremely passionate about what she believed in. She loved this country and felt honored to have served in our Armed Forces. Please keep her family in your thoughts and respect their privacy during this time."