The Hoax

January 6 Protesters Killed Police

The false claim that January 6 protesters killed police officers first gained traction shortly after the event. Initial media reports speculated that Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick died from injuries sustained during the riot, which was the basis of the hoax.

The J6 Protestors Killed Police Hoax climaxed on January 31, 2024 when President Biden stated in simple language that Trump “watched the cops being killed” on January 6th (Source: White House Briefing Room).

Joe Biden:

This NY Times article from January 8, 2021 alleges Sicknick’s death was caused by injuries sustained during the Capitol protests:

The officer, Brian D. Sicknick, was only the fourth member of the force to be killed in the line of duty since its founding two centuries ago. After the bedlam of Wednesday’s siege and the recriminations that filled the airwaves the next day, a silence descended over the Capitol grounds late Thursday as hundreds of law enforcement officers from scores of agencies lined the streets to pay tribute to their fallen comrade.

The circumstances surrounding Mr. Sicknick’s death were not immediately clear, and the Capitol Police said only that he had “passed away due to injuries sustained while on duty.”

Law enforcement officials initially said Mr. Sicknick was struck with a fire extinguisher, but weeks later, police sources and investigators were at odds over whether he was hit. Medical experts have said he did not die of blunt force trauma, according to one law enforcement official.

Media bias and erroneous reporting early on contributed to these false claims, which quickly spread via media.

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What Really Happened

No Police Were Killed At The Capitol On January 6

Despite widespread claims by media and prominent politicians, no police officers were killed during the January 6, 2021 protests at the U.S. Capitol. While there were injuries among law enforcement officers, no officer was killed as a result of the protest, or actions of the protesters, itself. This misinformation has been repeatedly circulated, often blurring the distinction between events on that day and subsequent unrelated deaths. And that is by design.

Officer Brian Sicknick

Further investigation revealed Officer Sicknick died of natural causes on the day after the riot, not from injuries inflicted on him during the event.

On April 19, 2021 The AP reported the truth of what really happened to Officer Sicknick. After a 3-month investigation, the Washington, DC medical examiner concluded that Officer Sicknick’s death was the result of a stroke from natural causes–not from any injury related to the January 6th protests.

Medical Ruling: Capitol Cop Sicknick Died of Natural Causes

Investigators initially believed the officer was hit in the head with a fire extinguisher, based on statements collected early in the investigation, according to two people familiar with the case. And they later thought the 42-year-old Sicknick may have ingested a chemical substance — possibly bear spray — that may have contributed to his death.

But the determination of a natural cause of death means the medical examiner found that a medical condition alone caused his death — it was not brought on by an injury. The determination is likely to significantly inhibit the ability of federal prosecutors to bring homicide charges in Sicknick’s death.

The U.S. Capitol Police later accepted the findings of the medical examiner.

Medical Examiner Finds USCP Officer Brian Sicknick Died of Natural Causes

The USCP accepts the findings from the District of Columbia’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner that Officer Brian Sicknick died of natural causes. 

The Media Then Pivoted To Other Capital Police Officers Who Died…But Not On January 6, 2024

1. Officer Howard Liebengood, U.S. Capitol Police – Died by suicide while severely sleep-deprived after working “practically around the clock” according to his wife (Jan 9th).
2. Officer Jeffrey Smith, DC Metropolitan Police- Died by suicide 9 days later (Jan 15th).
3. Officer Kyle DeFreytag, DC Metropolitan Police – Died by suicide in July, with no behavioral changes or directly attributable motive reported (Jul 10th).
4. Officer Gunther Hashida (DC Metropolitan Police)- Died by suicide in July, with no behavioral changes or directly attributable motive reported (Jul 29th).

*Criminal homicide chargers were never filed on behalf of any of the police officers deaths or suicides.

We at The American Debunk condemn political violence and riots of all kind. We disavow what happened on January 6th, 2021, where a small percentage of protesters became violent. We stand with the overwhelming majority who were protesting to delay certification of an election that appeared to have irregularities. However, we must never lose sight that a sitting president and Media sold the lie that January 6 protesters kills police officers.

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Hoaxology | How The Hoax Was Made

Here’s how this hoax was made.

Strategic Ambiguity

In the false claim that January 6 protesters killed police officers, strategic ambiguity was used by blurring the distinction between officers who were injured or died for unrelated reasons after the event and those directly involved in the protest itself. Media reports and statements from politicians suggested a causal link between the January 6 protests and the deaths of officers, but often without explicitly stating whether the deaths occurred during or as a direct result of the protest. By implying that these officers were “killed by protesters” while leaving out critical context—such as the fact that some officers died days or months later due to suicide or natural causes—these reports allowed the audience to believe that the deaths were a direct consequence of the protests, without making a fully verifiable claim. This allowed the narrative to persist while protecting those spreading it.

Selective Reporting

Selective reporting was used in the hoax that January 6 protesters killed police officers by emphasizing the deaths of law enforcement personnel while omitting key facts about the causes and timelines of those deaths. For example, media reports often highlighted that several officers died following the protests but failed to specify that these deaths were due to natural causes or suicide occurring days, weeks, or even months after the event. By choosing to focus on the fact that officers had died and omitting the details that none of them were directly killed during the protests, the media created a misleading narrative that suggested protesters were responsible for these deaths. This selective presentation of facts shaped a distorted version of the truth, reinforcing the false claim that January 6 protesters killed police officers.

Appeal To Authority

Prominent figures like President Biden repeating the false claim the protesters killed police officers is an example of the appeal to authority hoax method. By invoking the authority of a high-ranking official, the hoax gained credibility, as people were more likely to believe the statement simply because it came from the President. This technique exploits the public’s trust in authority figures, encouraging people to accept the claim without questioning or investigating the actual evidence. By using an authoritative figure to reinforce the narrative, it made the hoax appear more legitimate and harder to challenge.

Sensational Claims Go Viral; Corrections Don’t

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By The Numbers: A Statistical Analysis of January 6, 2021

• Protesters: 120,000
• Peaceful Certification Protesters: 99%
• Protesters charged with violent crimes: 134 (0.1% – 1 out of every 1000 protesters–some acquitted)
• Protestors charged with any crime: 1,265 (1%)
  • Of these, at least 332 are expected to have charges dropped after Fischer v. United States finding their charges Unconstitutional.
• Law Enforcement personnel: 2,500+
  • U.S. Capitol Police: 1,457+
  • D.C. Metropolitan Police: 1,000+
  • National Guard: 114, unequipped for riot control (President Trump had preauthorized an unlimited amount and unlimited equipment to secure the Capital–but denied by Pentagon and Capitol officials until mid-late afternoon; 1st wave of riot control troops arrived after 5pm.)
  • Other Agencies: unknown (includes a classified number of undercover agents)
• Law Enforcement personnel assaulted: 140
• Law Enforcement personnel killed: 0
• Law Enforcement deaths by natural causes: 1
• Law Enforcement suicides: 4 (occurring days-months later)

Average suicide rates would predict 1 out of 2,500 adult males in the law enforcement profession, age 25-45, to die by suicide per year. The fact that there were 2 within the first year is not a statistically significant deviation from that average–and in fact, the rate of 2 suicides over the 3-year span from Feb 2021-present is below average. Why has no other news source pointed this out?

Statistical Analysis Sources: Justice.gov, Newsweek, Washington Post, Govinfo.gov

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Debunk by: @CorleonTheOne

Senior Editor: @AmericanDebunk