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