Family of Jan. 6 officer declines GOP leaders' handshakes at ceremony - The Washington Post

According to the District’s main aesculapian examiner, Sicknick died of earthy causes 1 time aft suffering 2 strokes portion confronting members of the convulsive mob that attempted to overturn the 2020 statesmanlike election.

“They’re conscionable two-faced,” she told CNN connected Tuesday pursuing the awards ceremony. “I’m conscionable bushed of them lasting determination and saying however fantastic the Capitol constabulary is and past they crook astir and spell down to Mar-a-Lago and buss his ringing and travel back.”

“It just, it conscionable hurts,” Sicknick added.

Republicans and Democrats gathered Tuesday to grant Congressional Gold Medals — the highest grant from Congress — to each instrumentality enforcement who protected lawmakers portion defending the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 attack, including members of the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police.

About 140 members of instrumentality enforcement were injured arsenic rioters attacked them with flagpoles, shot bats, stun guns, carnivore spray and capsicum spray.

After household members received the medals, they shook hands with Democratic leaders — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.). Gladys Sicknick received a buss from Schumer. The household members ignored an extended manus from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and walked past House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).

A spokesperson for McCarthy had nary contiguous comment. McConnell, questioned astir the incited Tuesday afternoon, focused connected the officers and the awards.

"I would respond by saying contiguous we gave the golden medal to the heroes of January 6th,” helium told reporters. “We respect and respect them. They laid their lives connected the enactment and that’s wherefore we gave a golden medal contiguous to the heroes of January 6th.”

On Jan. 6, 2021, a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol to effort to halt Congress from counting the electoral votes affirming Joe Biden arsenic the victor of the 2020 statesmanlike election.

In the contiguous aftermath, McConnell and McCarthy condemned the onslaught and indicated that Trump was to blame. But weeks later, McCarthy refused to ballot to impeach Trump connected a complaint of inciting an insurrection and McConnell voted to acquit Trump aft a Senate trial.

McCarthy aboriginal traveled to Mar-a-Lago to conscionable with Trump.

Sicknick’s household lobbied Congress to found an autarkic committee to analyse the attack. McCarthy opposed instauration of the sheet and, successful the Senate, each Republicans banded unneurotic successful opposition. Pelosi and Democrats went up successful creating a bipartisan committee to investigate, though McCarthy refused to cooperate.

After the ceremony, Ken Sicknick, the precocious officer’s brother, said his refusal to shingle hands with the Republican leaders was “self-explanatory” fixed their fealty to Trump.

“Whatever clasp Trump has connected them, they’ve back-stepped, they’ve danced,” helium told CBS. “They won’t admit to wrongdoing of Trump, of the rioters.”

Last week, Trump expressed solidarity with the mob that attacked the Capitol, sending a video of enactment to a fundraising lawsuit Thursday nighttime hosted by a radical called the Patriot Freedom Project, which is supporting families of those being prosecuted by the government.

“It’s disgusting,” Sicknick said astir Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.), who presented Simone Gold, a rioter, with a emblem flown implicit the U.S. Capitol aft her merchandise from prison. “It takes distant the heroism my member showed.”

Ken Sicknick, praised Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) for her enactment connected the committee investigating the Jan. 6 attacks but criticized the Republicans who refused to research however the insurrection happened and Trump’s role.

“Unlike Liz Cheney, they person nary thought what integrity is,” helium said explaining wherefore GOP lawmakers were undeserving of a handshake. “They cannot basal up for what’s close and wrong.”

“With them, it’s enactment first,” Sicknick added.

McCarthy has indicated that erstwhile Republicans instrumentality implicit the bulk adjacent month, they volition analyse the Jan. 6 committee’s work.

On Tuesday, helium praised instrumentality enforcement crossed the state for their “essential brotherhood.”

“Putting connected the badge means putting yourselves successful harm’s mode to support others, to support the state safe,” McCarthy said. “These brave men and women are heroes, heroes who protected truthful galore from harm connected that day. Heroes who unrecorded retired the codification to support and serve. Heroes who bash the noble work. Too galore radical instrumentality that for granted.”

McConnell praised instrumentality enforcement officers for sacrificing their lives truthful that lawmakers could fulfill their committedness to certify the predetermination declaring Biden president.

“Because of your bravery and professionalism, Congress finished our occupation that precise night,” helium said. “Because you honored your oaths to enactment and support the Constitution, we were capable to grant ours. That is simply a world that was made particularly wide 23 months ago. But it is existent each azygous day.”

“Thank you for having our backs,” McConnell added. “Thank you for redeeming our country. Thank you for being not conscionable our friends, but our heroes.”

In a abstracted incident, erstwhile D.C. serviceman Michael Fanone, who was severely injured connected Jan. 6 and is an outspoken and recognizable advocator for constabulary who defended the Capitol, said members of his ain unit jeered and taunted him during the ceremony.

Fanone said that arsenic helium walked to a bath arsenic guests were being seated earlier the ceremonial started, a subordinate of the department’s Special Operations Division held his hands successful the signifier of a plaque and told him successful a sarcastic tone: “There helium is, the large American hero. Thank you for gracing america with your presence.” Fanone said helium turned and saw him rima a profanity.

Fanone said helium walked distant but past returned to face the officer, whom helium said was among a radical from the Civil Disturbance Unit. Fanone said helium told the officer, “Not connected this day, of each days, and if you privation to speech astir it we tin spell outside.” He said different members of the portion chimed successful with jeers, telling him helium “was not a bull anymore” and calling him a “disgrace.”

Fanone said a sergeant past interjected and warned him not to “talk to his cops that way.”

Fanone said different officers separated the radical and helium walked away.

After the ceremony, Fanone said D.C. constabulary main Robert J. Contee III gave him his golden medal. “I respect the hellhole retired of that guy,” Fanone said of the chief, adding, “Made my day.”

Fanone has been outspoken from days aft the insurrection, successful which helium was severely injured aft being dragged into the assemblage and beaten unconscious and threatened with death. But his outspokenness successful the media and with others has earned him a estimation wrong the ranks of his ain department, helium has said, virtually ostracized by those who dislike the publicity helium seeks and receives, and others who helium says softly enactment Trump.

Dustin Sternbeck, the D.C. constabulary department’s main spokesman, said the lawsuit “was a tremendous grant for the Metropolitan Police Department.” He added: “We’re not focused connected immoderate 1 individual. We are focusing connected the contributions of an full section that saved Democracy connected Jan. 6, 2021.”