Pelosi: Officers who died after defending Capitol on Jan. 6 are 'martyrs of democracy'
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday paid tribute to the police officers who died after protecting the U.S. Capitol from violent insurrectionists on Jan. 6, calling them “heroes” and “martyrs of democracy.”
“This week we learned now it’s up to five officers who defended democracy on Jan. 6 who’ve died,” Pelosi said during her weekly press conference.
The D.C. Metropolitan Police Department announced Monday that two Metropolitan police officers who responded to the Jan. 6 attack, Gunther Hashida and Kyle DeFreytag, died by suicide last month, bringing the known number of officers who’ve taken their own lives in the aftermath of the deadly riot to four. D.C. Police Officer Jeffrey Smith and U.S. Capitol Police Officer Howard Liebengood both died by suicide in the days after the pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol. The fifth officer, Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, suffered strokes and died of natural causes one day after clashing with rioters.
Pelosi’s comments came a day after President Biden signed legislation to award four Congressional Gold Medals — the highest civilian honor given by Congress — to United States Capitol Police and other law enforcement personnel who protected the Capitol during the deadly insurrection.
Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris offered similar praise for the five late officers, as well as the more than 140 others who were injured on Jan. 6, during a signing ceremony at the White House Rose Garden on Thursday.
“America owes you a debt we can never fully repay,” Biden said, adding, “For anyone out there facing trauma, for anyone still struggling, please know there is help available.”
Last week four of the officers who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6 offered chilling accounts of the trauma they endured during the first public hearing of the House select committee investigating the attack.
It’s not clear who the panel will call to testify next, but Pelosi said Friday that the “work to protect our democracy continues with the select committee to investigate Jan. 6.” Pelosi appointed seven Democrats and two Republicans to serve on the House panel, after Republicans in the Senate killed a proposal to create an independent, bipartisan commission to probe the deadly assault.
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