An American was sentenced Friday, January 27 to more than six years in prison for having sprayed during the assault on the Capitol a chemical substance against a police officer, Brian Sicknick, who died in hospital the next day.
Julian Khater had pleaded guilty to using “bear spray”, a powerful aerosol that is used to repel these large mammals, during the attack on the headquarters of the American democracy, on January 6, 2021. The policeman of 42 The year-old died in hospital on January 7, with an autopsy report ultimately concluding that he died of “natural” causes after two strokes. In a statement released that day, the police said they “had been injured during a confrontation with demonstrators” and that he “collapsed when he arrived at his team’s offices”.
Tribute to Joe Biden
In a video, cited in the indictment, Julian Khater was seen asking another protester to pass him “that bear thing”, before taking an aerosol can out of the latter’s backpack. A little later, it projected its contents into the faces of three agents, including that of Brian Sicknick. The 30-year-old was the subject of nine charges, including “assault of an officer with a dangerous weapon” but was not prosecuted for homicide.
The tragic fate of Brian Sicknick had moved many Americans, shocked by the capture of Congress by pro-Trump activists. His remains had been exhibited at the Capitol, an exceptional honor, and Joe Biden had paid tribute to him on the spot.