☑️ President Trump pardoned all those charged in the Jan. 6 attack

☑️ Brian Sicknick was attacked during the riot and later died from a stroke

☑️ The Sicknick family has been critical of Trump and Jan. 6 apologists


The brother of New Jersey native Brian Sicknick, a U.S. Capitol police officer who died following the January 6, 2021, attack on the capitol, told ABC News that President Donald Trump’s pardon of 1,500 defendants is a "betrayal of decency."

Sicknick died after defending the Capitol against the mob that stormed the building as Congress was voting to certify Joe Biden’s electoral win over Donald Trump. It came after Trump urged supporters on the National Mall to “fight like hell” to overturn his defeat. The South River native was among five people who died after the riot.

Two charged in Sicknick's death

Brian Sicknick suffered a stroke and died from natural causes but "all that transpired on that day played a role in his condition," according to a medical examiner.

Julian Elie Khater, 32, of State College, Pennsylvania, and George Pierre Tanios, 39, of West Virginia, were also charged in connection with Sicknick's death.

Trump on Monday called the rioters "patriots" and "hostages" as he signed the document making the pardon official.

Family and Gov. Murphy react to pardons

Craig Sicknick told ABC News that as a result of the pardon, he believes there is no longer a rule of law and that Trump has no understanding of the pain or suffering of others.

Gov. Phil Murphy said,  "President Trump’s decision to pardon the individual who assaulted (Brian Sicknick) that day — and 1,500 other Jan 6th defendants — is a deep betrayal of justice and dark moment for our country."

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U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick
U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick (United States Capitol Police via AP)
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Snub at Congressional Gold Medal ceremony

The Sicknick family has been outspoken against supporters of Trump and those who have downplayed the events of Jan. 6. During the ceremony, the family declined to shake hands with Republican leaders including Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell.

Brian Sicknick's mother told CNN that she was tired of Republicans being two-faced in praising Capitol police and also visiting former President Donald Trump at his Florida home.

The family also ripped Fox News when Tucker Carlson, who was still with the news channel at the time, aired footage that he said showed that the mob had been peaceful and escorted. They accused Carlson of picking and choosing footage to support his narrative that Sicknick was not "slain."

“Leave us the hell alone and instead of spreading more lies from Supreme Leader Trump, why don’t you focus on real news,” the Sicknick family said.

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CORRECTION: An earlier version of this report incorrectly included a third defendant in the list of people charged in connection to the attack on Officer Sicknick.

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