Assault on the Capitol (DC)

[raison de arizona]

F.B.I. Said to Have Singled Out Potential Assailant in Capitol Officer’s Death

The death of the officer, Brian Sicknick, after the Capitol riot has been a major focus for investigators scrutinizing the attack by a pro-Trump mob.

WASHINGTON — The F.B.I. has pinpointed an assailant in its investigation into the death of Brian D. Sicknick, a Capitol Police officer who was injured while fending off the pro-Trump mob that stormed the Capitol last month and later died, according to two law enforcement officials briefed on the inquiry.

The F.B.I. opened a homicide investigation into Officer Sicknick’s death soon after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Investigators initially struggled to determine what had happened as he fought assailants. They soon began to suspect his death was related to an irritant, like mace or bear spray, that he had inhaled during the riot. Both officers and rioters were armed with such irritants during the attack.

In a significant breakthrough in the case, investigators have now pinpointed a person seen on video of the riot who attacked several officers with bear spray, including Officer Sicknick, according to the officials. And video evidence shows that the assailant discussed attacking officers with the bear spray beforehand, one of the officials said.

While investigators narrowed potential suspects seen in video footage to a single person this week, they have yet to identify the assailant by name.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/26/us/p ... ation.html

[AndyinPA]

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/26/us/p ... ation.html

WASHINGTON — The F.B.I. has pinpointed an assailant in its investigation into the death of Brian D. Sicknick, a Capitol Police officer who was injured while fending off the pro-Trump mob that stormed the Capitol last month and later died, according to two law enforcement officials briefed on the inquiry.

The F.B.I. opened a homicide investigation into Officer Sicknick’s death soon after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Investigators initially struggled to determine what had happened as he fought assailants. They soon began to suspect his death was related to an irritant, like mace or bear spray, that he had inhaled during the riot. Both officers and rioters were armed with such irritants during the attack.

In a significant breakthrough in the case, investigators have now pinpointed a person seen on video of the riot who attacked several officers with bear spray, including Officer Sicknick, according to the officials. And video evidence shows that the assailant discussed attacking officers with the bear spray beforehand, one of the officials said.

While investigators narrowed potential suspects seen in video footage to a single person this week, they have yet to identify the assailant by name. A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment.Given the evidence available to investigators, prosecutors could be more likely to bring charges of assaulting an officer, rather than murder, in the case. But the death of Officer Sicknick, a 42-year-old Air National Guard veteran who served in Saudi Arabia and Kyrgyzstan, could increase the penalties that prosecutors could seek if they took such a case to court.

[SuzieC]

Good. And there is also this criminal who should go to prison: https://www.rawstory.com/eye-gouger-thomas-webster/

[jcolvin2]

Chief Judge Beryl Howell of the D.C. federal district court issued an opinion (attached) yesterday (2/26/2021), reversing a Kansas magistrate's decision to grant bail to a participant in the January 6, 2021 insurrection (Chrestman). The opinion notably contains a discussion (and rejection) of the "I was only following Trump's directions" defense that some participants have proffered.

[Slim Cognito]

Soooo, the Nuremberg defense isn't going to cut it?

[neonzx]

Soooo, the Nuremberg defense isn't going to cut it?

That's how I read it. Oh well.

[slq]

Thanks for posting Judge Howell's opinion. It made me feel a bit better about the whole mess.

[jcolvin2]

Thanks for posting Judge Howell's opinion. It made me feel a bit better about the whole mess.

I thought Judge Howell did a nice job. I was unaware that the insurrectionists had attempted to enter the tunnels below the Capitol. Emptywheel had some interesting observations about the opinion: Emptywheel discussion of Chrestman detention opinion

[Volkonski]

Mike Valerio
@MikevWUSA
Alright, there’s a lot of security fence news today...

CAPITOL BARBED WIRE is coming down!

Workers are removing razor wire now.

They’re telling onlookers they’re working on this fence because 3rd Street by the Capitol Reflecting pool is going to RE-OPEN soon.
@WUSA9

@CBSNews

[neonzx]

GOOD!

I don't want our Capitol to look like a prison camp.

[sugar magnolia]

GOOD!

I don't want our Capitol to look like a prison camp.

I don't want it to look like an abattoir either.

[June bug]

Agree, Sugar!

[pipistrelle]

Screen shot from a video. The clearing out. Not looking so manly man face down.

DE4893CE-0267-4702-B329-144725FFB351.jpeg (353.91 KiB) Viewed 10503 times

[Dave from down under]

Taking out the trash.

[Frater I*I]

The clearing out. Not looking so manly man face down.

It was a revolution....

Right up until they had to put their a----s on the line.

[Sunrise]

GOOD!

I don't want our Capitol to look like a prison camp.

I don't want it to look like an abattoir either.

My vocabulary is pretty extensive, but abattoir is a word I don’t remember ever hearing before. Of course I did the Google thing and your use of it was very, very appropriate, Sugar. Just another case of my learning something new and interesting while reading Fogbow.

As a retired teacher, I won’t give the meaning, but will go back to the old standby of ‘look it up yourself’ if you didn’t know what it meant either. As always, you’ll remember it better if you check it out for yourself. I’m sure everyone else here who taught will react the same way!

[pipistrelle]

GOOD!

I don't want our Capitol to look like a prison camp.

I don't want it to look like an abattoir either.

My vocabulary is pretty extensive, but abattoir is a word I don’t remember ever hearing before. Of course I did the Google thing and your use of it was very, very appropriate, Sugar. Just another case of my learning something new and interesting while reading Fogbow.

As a retired teacher, I won’t give the meaning, but will go back to the old standby of ‘look it up yourself’ if you didn’t know what it meant either. As always, you’ll remember it better if you check it out for yourself. I’m sure everyone else here who taught will react the same way!

Off Topic

First I heard abattoir was from Monty Python.

[Domenico]

► Show Spoiler

If Kurt Vonnegut was British, would he have called it 'Abattoir-5'?

[neonzx]

As a retired teacher, I won’t give the meaning, but will go back to the old standby of ‘look it up yourself’ if you didn’t know what it meant either. As always, you’ll remember it better if you check it out for yourself. I’m sure everyone else here who taught will react the same way!

Off Topic

First I heard abattoir was from Monty Python.

https://youtu.be/QfArEGCm7yM&t=55s

People should look it up for themselves. *thumbs up* I now know something new.

Google: abattoir

[Dave from down under]

For lambs and mutton.. the "chop shop"?

[Eaststander]

GOOD!

I don't want our Capitol to look like a prison camp.

I don't want it to look like an abattoir either.

My vocabulary is pretty extensive, but abattoir is a word I don’t remember ever hearing before. Of course I did the Google thing and your use of it was very, very appropriate, Sugar. Just another case of my learning something new and interesting while reading Fogbow.

As a retired teacher, I won’t give the meaning, but will go back to the old standby of ‘look it up yourself’ if you didn’t know what it meant either. As always, you’ll remember it better if you check it out for yourself. I’m sure everyone else here who taught will react the same way!

Maybe it’s a British English thing. It is the standard word to use over here.

[Eaststander]

... although of course it’s origin is clearly French. So it’s a French British English thing.

[HST's Ghost]

I thought it meant screeching early thrash metal!

► Show Spoiler

[Foggy]

CAPITOL BARBED WIRE is coming down!

Workers are removing razor wire now.

Of course, silly. That's for the inauguration on Thursday.

[Volkonski]

Yes, learned "abattoir" from "Monty Python" and "borstal" from "Fawlty Towers".

And now for something completely different-

ABC 7 News - WJLA
@ABC7News
The fencing around St. John's Church in Lafayette Square came down for the first time in eight months.

MORE: https://wjla.com/news/local/fencing-aro ... time-since

Can't help but agree with one of the comments on that Twitter thread. This might be premature what with March 4th only two days away and with Trump having riled up his supporters on Sunday.