Capitol Police Officer Killed During DC Riots Will Lie in Honor in Rotunda

Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who died earlier this month as a result of the Capitol riots, will lie in honor next week in the building's Rotunda.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) made the announcement on Friday. 

"The heroism of Officer Sicknick and the Capitol Police force during the violent insurrection against our Capitol helped save lives, defend the temple of our democracy and ensure that the Congress was not diverted from our duty to the Constitution. His sacrifice reminds us every day of our obligation to our country and to the people we serve." 

His body will arrive at the Capitol on Tuesday, then there will be a viewing period for members of the Capitol Police. Congressional lawmakers can pay their respects Wednesday morning before Sicknick is taken to Arlington National Cemetery, where he will be interred. 

Sicknick served six years in the New Jersey National Guard, was deployed to Saudi Arabia and then Kyrgyzstan. He joined the U.S. Capitol Police in 2008. The 42-year-old was hit on the head with a fire extinguisher when rioters stormed the Capitol building on Jan. 6. He died the next day.

Pelosi and Schumer said in their joint statement, "On behalf of the House of Representatives and the Senate, it is our great privilege to pay tribute to Officer Sicknick with this lying-in-honor ceremony. May this ceremony and the knowledge that so many mourn with and pray for them be a comfort to Officer Sicknick's family during this sad time."

According to the House, Art & Historical Archives, two Capitol Police officers were honored in the Capitol Rotunda in 1998 after they were fatally shot when an assailant started shooting inside the building. Officer Jacob J. Chestnut, Jr., and Detective John M. Gibson died following the attack.

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