Was Kyle DeFreytag married? Fourth officer who responded to Capitol riots dies by suicide
While Republicans continue to deny the January 6 insurrection, its effects continue to have dire consequences. On July 10, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer Kyle Hendrik DeFreytag died by suicide, becoming the fourth to do so. In total, five police officers have died as a direct result of the insurrection, perpetrated by Trump supporters. At the time of his death, DeFreytag was only 26 years old and served as an officer for five years.
The Department of Justice is currently in the process of rounding up and trying those involved in the events of the day. So far, over 500 people have been charged, and are facing court trials in Washington DC. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley also sent a memo calling the events "sedition and insurrection". Yet, the Republican party refuses to acknowledge the events as such. In February, Sen Ron Johnson was slammed for blaming "fake Trump supporters" for the insurrection.
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The GOP has also been unwilling to cooperate with an investigation into the matter, eventually leading to a House Select Committee investigation sans widespread GOP support. On the first day of the hearing in July, Capitol police officers provided testimony on the events and called out the challenges they faced in responding to the insurrection. Now, DeFreytag is the fourth officer to die by suicide, much to the shock of the policing community.
Was Kyle DeFreytag married?
Not much is known about DeFreytag. An obituary in his name says he was born on October 19, 1994, in Canadensis, Pennsylvania. "He liked hiking, camping, riding his motorcycle, he liked traveling and playing the drums, he enjoyed trying different ethnic foods and always knew the best places to eat," the obituary says. Reportedly, DeFreytag attended Northampton Community College and was added to the dean's list in 2015.
Beyond that, there' little public information about DeFreytag. The obituary says he is survived by his parents Frederik and Laura, and his siblings Sam and Melanie. We could not find any information about DeFreytag's wife, indicating that it was likely he was not married. A memorial for the officer was held on July 31, 2021, at the National Community Church Miracle Theater. The family also asked that people make donations to the Washington DC Chapter of Concerns of Police Survivors Inc. in lieu of flowers.
DeFreytag's mother confirmed to Fox5 DC that her son had indeed died and that he responded to the insurrection. Reportedly, he was posted outside the Capitol in the evening once the rioters had been cleared from the building. The news of DeFreytag's death comes just days after the MPD confirmed officer Gunther Hashida was found dead inside his home. Earlier, MPD Officer Jeffrey Smith and US Capitol Police Officer Howard Liebengood died by suicide.
Earlier, officer Brian Sicknick was killed in action during the insurrection, after a rioter peppered sprayed him inside the Capitol. The insurrection was also perpetrated by numerous other current and former serving police officers, military officials, and other federal officers.