My brother, United States Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, collapsed after defending the Capitol Building and everyone in it from pro-Trump insurrectionists on January 6, 2021, and died in the hospital the following day. He suffered two strokes, we learned. In the aftermath of his death, I thought my family would be united in our grief. I didn’t see until later that politics — some of the same on display at the Capitol the day Brian reported for what would be his last shift — were already dividing us.
After the Medical Examiner finally released his remains for burial, my family returned to Washington, D.C., to pay our final respects to my kid brother. Brian was one of the few American citizens to lay in honor at the United States Capitol Rotunda, the same building he gave his life to protect. After the public services, we met President Biden, who expressed heartfelt condolences for our loss. The President and his wife came without the press in tow, without photographers. Several other high-ranking officials also quietly paid their respects. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, a Republican from Texas and one of Brian’s favorite people on the Hill, gave the eulogy at Arlington National Cemetery the following day.
