Four officers who responded to U.S. Capitol attack have died by suicide

By Jan Wolfe

(Reuters) -The District of Columbia’s police department connected Monday said 2 more police officers who responded to the Jan. 6 riot astatine the U.S. Capitol have died by suicide, bringing to 4 the fig of known suicides by officers who guarded the gathering that day.

Metropolitan Police Officer Gunther Hashida was recovered dormant successful his location Thursday, section spokesperson Hugh Carew said successful a statement.

Hashida joined the District of Columbia’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) successful May 2003.

Another MPD serviceman who responded to the Capitol on Jan. 6, Kyle DeFreytag, was recovered dormant connected July 10, Carew said. DeFreytag’s origin of decease was besides suicide, Carew said.

He had been with the police department since November 2016.

MPD Officer Jeffrey Smith and U.S. Capitol Police Officer Howard Liebengood besides responded to the Capitol riot and aboriginal died by suicide.

Hundreds of then-President Donald Trump supporters stormed the gathering that time successful an unsuccessful effort to halt Congress from certifying Democratic President Joe Biden’s predetermination win.

Four radical died connected the time of the violence.

A Capitol Police officer who had been attacked by protesters died the pursuing day. More than 100 police officers were injured.

The mayhem led to Trump’s 2nd impeachment trial. More than 500 radical person been arrested for their roles successful the violence.

During affectional grounds past week, four police officers told a House of Representatives peculiar committee that they were beaten, threatened, taunted with radical insults, and thought they mightiness dice arsenic they struggled to support the Capitol against the mob.

(Reporting by Jan Wolfe; Editing by Stephen Coates, Robert Birsel)