US Capitol Police said in a statement that Officer Brian D. Sicknick, 42, was injured “while in physical contact with protesters” during Wednesday’s riot. He is the fifth person to die because of the melee.
Agent Sicknick’s brother released the following statement to ABC News:
“After a day of fighting for his life, he died a hero. I want to thank all his siblings in the police force for the incredible compassion and support they have shown my family. My family and I hope that our privacy can become” respected when we mourn. Thank you. “
The frenzy that has shaken the world and put the country on edge forced the resignation of three top security officers from the Capitol for failing to stop the breach. It prompted lawmakers to demand a review of operations and an FBI briefing on what they called a “terrorist attack.” And it evokes a broader weighing on Trump’s tenure and what comes next for a torn country.
WATCH: Full coverage of the Capitol chaos
Protesters were urged by Trump earlier Wednesday at a rally near the White House to head to Capitol Hill, where lawmakers were scheduled to confirm Biden’s presidential victory. The mob quickly broke through police barriers, smashed windows and paraded through the halls, subverting lawmakers.
A protester, a white woman, was shot dead by Capitol Police, and there were dozens of arrests. Three other people died after “medical emergencies” related to the breach.
Images from January 6, 2021
Despite Trump’s repeated claims of voter fraud, election officials and his own former attorney general have said there were no problems on a scale that would change the outcome. All states have declared their results fair and accurate by both Republican and Democratic officials.
Senator Ben Sasse, R-Neb., Said the news of the police officer’s death was “heartbreaking.”
“None of this should have happened,” Sasse said in a statement. “Lord have mercy.”
Sicknick had returned to his divisional office after the incident and collapsed, the statement said. He was taken to a local hospital where he died on Thursday.
Two House Democrats on committees overseeing the Capitol’s police budgets said those responsible should be detained to answer for the “senseless” death.
“We must ensure that the mob that attacked the People’s House and those who incited them are held fully accountable,” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Ct., And Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio. in a statement.
Earlier Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that any remaining day with the president in power could be “a horror show for America.” Likewise, Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer said that the attack on the Capitol was “an uprising against the United States instigated by the president,” and that Trump should not remain in office “one day” longer.
WATCH: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calls on the cabinet to invoke the 25th amendment
Pelosi and Schumer called for an appeal to the 25th Amendment to the Constitution to force Trump from office before President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated on Jan. 20. unable to make contact with him.
WATCH: Vice President Pence addresses Congress as Electoral College certification resumes
At least one Republican lawmaker participated. The procedure allows the vice president and a majority of the cabinet to declare the president unfit. The vice president then becomes acting president.
Pelosi said if the president’s cabinet doesn’t act quickly, the House could impeach Trump.
Trump, who had repeatedly refused to admit the election, did so in a White House video Thursday on Thursday in which he promised a “seamless transfer of power.”
Two Republicans in charge of the election results, Texas’s Ted Cruz and Missouri’s Josh Hawley, faced angry colleagues in the Senate. Cruz defended his objection to the election results as “the right thing to do,” as he tried unsuccessfully to get Congress to launch an investigation. In the House, Republican leaders took Rep. Kevin McCarthy from California and Rep. Louisiana Steve Scalise participated in the failed attempt to reverse Biden’s victory by objecting to the results of the electoral college.
WATCH: Joe Biden calls out to Capitol crowd to “ back out, ” urging for decency to be restored
With high tensions, the Capitol’s shutter and lawmakers not returning until after the inauguration, there was an uncomfortable feeling of stalemate over a major seat of national power as Trump hid in the White House.
Social media giant Facebook banned the president from its platform and Instagram for the duration of Trump’s final days in office, if not indefinitely, citing its intent to stir up unrest. Twitter had silenced him the day before.
SEE ALSO: Twitter Locks Trump Account After Deleting Tweets About DC Protesters
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said “the shocking events” make it clear that Trump “intends to use his remaining time in office to undermine the peaceful and legal transfer of power.”
Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund was forced to resign under pressure from Schumer, Pelosi, and other congressional leaders. Senate Leader Mitch McConnell filed for and received the resignation of Senate Arms Sergeant Michael Stenger effective immediately. Paul Irving, the old Sergeant at Arms of the House, also resigned.
WATCH: Mitch McConnell breaks with Trump in blistering speech
Sund had defended his department’s response to the storming of the Capitol, saying that agents had “acted bravely against thousands of individuals involved in violent, insurgent acts.”
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser called the police response “a failure.”
WATCH: Lawmakers huddle together as officers stand off with the crowd
Lawmakers from both parties pledged to investigate and questioned whether a lack of preparedness allowed a crowd to occupy and destroy the building. The Pentagon and the Justice Department were turned down when they offered help.
Black lawmakers in particular noted how the predominantly white Trump supporters were treated.
The newly elected Deputy Cori Bush, D-Mo., Said that if “we, if black people did the same things that happened … the response would have been different, we would be on the ground.”
WATCH: Political analyst discusses the day of chaos
The protesters looted the place, took over the house and senate chamber, and waved Trump, American and Confederate flags. Outside they climbed the walls and balconies.
Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., A former police chief, said it was “painfully obvious” that the Capitol police were “unprepared.”
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Associated Press writers, Mary Clare Jalonick, Zeke Miller, Alan Fram, Padmananda Rama, and Michael Balsamo in Washington contributed to this report.
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