Howard Liebengood: Capitol cop 'dies by suicide' days after another cop Brian Sicknick was killed in pro-Trump riots
A US Capitol Police officer has reportedly died by suicide just three days after the force was thrown into chaos when President Donald Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol building. Officer Howard Liebengood, 51, died off-duty on Saturday, January 9, the USCP announced via a statement. According to two sources who spoke to the Associated Press, Liebengood died by suicide though the USCP did not reveal any cause of death.
Liebengood is the second officer to die in the days after the Capitol incident where Trump supporters breached the building as an attempt to prevent lawmakers from declaring President-elect Joe Biden as the winner. The other officer, Brian Sicknick, had died on Thursday, January 7 after he was reportedly hit in the head with a fire extinguisher when the violence broke out.
It was reported that Liebengood was with the USCP ever since April 2005 and had been assigned to the Senate Division. The agency had released a statement and said, "Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends, and colleagues." "We ask that his family, and other USCP officers and their families' privacy be respected during this profoundly difficult time," the statement continued. Liebengood was the son of former top Senate aide Howard S Liebengood who had served as a Sergeant of Arms at the Capitol between 1981 and 1983.
The USCP did not make any suggestion nor propose any link between last week's violence and riots at the Capitol to the 51-year-old's death.
Federal prosecutors have launched an investigation into the death of Sicknick, 42, over claims that he was "hit over the head with a fire extinguisher" when the riots occurred. He was the fifth person to die due to the riots but was the only police officer to lose his life whereas the other four were rioters themselves. According to his social media presence, he was a Trump supporter himself and it is unclear where he was when he was reportedly attacked. It is also not known whether he was alone and outnumbered like many of his colleagues were.
The authorities say that he had been injured when he was 'engaging' with the mob. Sicknick's brother had confirmed his death and spoke to ABC7. He said, "After a day of fighting for his life, he passed away a hero. I would like to thank all of his brothers and sisters in law enforcement for the incredible compassion and support they have shown my family."
"My family and I hope that our privacy can be respected as we grieve. Thank you," he added.
Sicknick's father Charles spoke to Reuters and had said that he hopes his son's death will bring an end to "all the lunacy that's been going on in this country." Charles shared, "He loved his job. I'll never get over this." He said that his son had been hit in the head and was pepper-sprayed by rioters.
"He ended up with a clot on the brain. If they had operated on him, he would've become a vegetable," Charles added. "If any good comes out of my son's death, I just hope that it stops all the lunacy that's been going on in this country."