Federal authorities have arrested two men accused of spraying U.S. Capitol Police officer Brian D. Sicknick with bear spray during the riot at the Capitol on January 6. Sicknick died following the riot, but authorities did not say if the assault was a factor in his death. His cause of death is unknown, and authorities have not released the autopsy report.
Investigators said they have surveillance video showing Julian Elie Khater, 32, and George Pierre Tanios, 39, standing around the Lower West Terrace of the Capitol near a bike rack guarded by police. At one point, Khater takes the bear spray and discharges it in the face of Sicknick and other police officers standing nearby.
Prosecutors said that in addition to spraying Sicknick with bear spray, the chemical agent also struck two other officers, identified as Capitol Police officer C. Edwards and D.C. police officer B. Chapman.
According to the Washington Post, the two men were identified by tipsters who recognized them in surveillance photos released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Federal officials have charged more than 300 people for their role in the violence at the U.S. Capitol.
Both men were charged with nine counts, including assaulting a police officer with a deadly weapon, civil disorder, and obstruction of a congressional proceeding. They face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
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