Two Men Charged with Assaulting Capitol Officer Sicknick, Cause of Death Still Unknown

Federal investigators charged two men with assaulting U.S. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick during the January 6 Capitol riot, though Sicknick’s cause of death remains unknown.

George Tanios and Julian Khater — of West Virginia and Pennsylvania, respectively — were arrested Sunday and slated to appear in federal court Monday. Multiple media reports initially indicated that Sicknick was “murdered” by rioters after being struck with a fire extinguisher, though investigators now believe that Sicknick may have died as a result of exposure to bear spray, according to the Associated Press.