WASHINGTON — Two men have been arrested and charged with assaulting U.S. Capitol Police police officer Brian Sicknick with bear spray during the January 6th riot, but officials do not know whether that was the cause ion death. George Tanios, 39, of Morgantown, W.Va., and Julian Khater, 32, of Pennsylvania, were arrested Sunday. They were expected to appear in federal court Monday. Investigators pieced together the evidence through video footage from the incident.
“In reviewing surveillance footage of this incident, your affiant observed the defendants, Julian Elie Khater and George Pierre Tanios, working together to assault law enforcement officers with an unknown chemical substance by spraying officers directly in the face and eyes,” a criminal affidavit by an FBI special agent contended. “Your affiant further observed these defendants appeared to time the deployment of chemical substances to coincide with other rioters’ efforts to forcibly remove the bike rack barriers that were preventing the rioters from moving closer to the Capitol building.”
The idea that Sicknick died after being sprayed by a chemical irritant has emerged in recent weeks as a new theory in the case according to the Washington Examiner.
Investigators initially believed that Sicknick was hit in the head with a fire extinguisher, based on statements collected early in the investigation, according to two people familiar with the case. But as they’ve collected more evidence, the theory of the case has evolved and investigators now believe Sicknick may have ingested a chemical substance — possibly bear spray — that may have contributed to his death, officials have said.
Court documents do not directly tie the assault actions with the death of Officer Sicknick. The FBI has refused to release the cause of death and the autopsy results remain pending. Both seem strange and suspicious to every expert we have reached out to. One homicide investigator said that he has no doubt that the autopsy results are complete and that there would have been a priority on that investigation and report.
In the days that followed Sicknick’s death, numerous media outlets and politicians claimed that he was beaten with a fire extinguisher. Those supposed facts appeared in impeachment documents against former President Trump.
None of it was true.
Over a month ago, the media began pushing the notion that Officer Sicknick was killed with Bear Spray but as we pointed out, that seems improbable if not impossible.
Today’s arrests needed to happen. Anyone that assaulted law enforcement on that day and on any day, must be held accountable.
As far as Officer Sicknick being murdered?
Every day that officials refuse to answer that question, it becomes more evident that he was not murdered.
