2nd Officer Who Responded To U.S. Capitol
Insurrection Dies By Suicide, Chief Says
Jeffrey Smith died Jan 15, just over a week after he
responded to the violent Capitol Hill insurrection.
By
Sebastian Murdock
A second
Washington law enforcement officer who responded to the Jan. 6 insurrection at
the U.S. Capitol has died by suicide, according to the Metropolitan Police
Department’s acting chief.
Officer
Jeffrey Smith, 35, killed himself on Jan. 15, acting Chief Robert J. Contee III
told the House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, The Washington Post first
reported. He was a 12-year department veteran.
“The costs
for this insurrection — both human and monetary — will be steep,” Contee said
in his remarks to the committee.
Five people
died during the course of the riot, including Capitol Police Officer Brian
Sicknick, 42, who was hit in the head with a fire extinguisher by members of
the mob. His death is still being investigated and no arrests have been made in
the case.
Capitol
Police Officer Howard Liebengood, 51, died by suicide days after he responded
to the riot.
The
insurrection occurred after then-President Donald Trump and several of his
allies spoke at a rally at which they fired up a massive crowd near the White
House with a litany of false claims that last November’s election that Trump
lost was “rigged.” At Trump’s urging, thousands of the rally-goers then marched
to the Capitol.
A total of
65 officers were injured during the resulting siege, Contee said during his
Tuesday testimony.
“We honor
the service and sacrifices of Officers Brian Sicknick, Howard Liebengood, and
Jeffery Smith, and offer condolences to all the grieving families,” Contee said
in his remarks.
He spoke to
lawmakers as part of a briefing into the failures by law enforcement to stem the
mob. Among those failures was a lack of preparedness that allowed rioters to
breach the Capitol, Contee said. Stephen Sund resigned as chief of the Capitol
police force following the siege after being criticized for failing to better
safeguard the building by the officers’ union and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
(D-Calif.).
The House
impeached Trump on a charge of inciting the insurrection and a Senate trial of
the charge will be held next month.
If you or
someone you know needs help, call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide
Prevention Lifeline. You can also text HOME to 741-741 for free, 24-hour
support from the Crisis Text Line. Outside of the U.S., please visit the
International Association for Suicide Prevention for a database of resources.
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