In a string of apparent suicides by Police Officers present on the January 6th event, a fourth has been added to the list of those who seemingly killed themselves in the months after the day. Metropolitan Police Officer Kyle DeFreytag was found dead on July 10th, said to have killed himself.
MPD Chief Robert J. Contee III sent a message to the police force last month stating, “I am writing to share tragic news that Officer Kyle DeFreytag of the 5th District was found deceased last evening. This is incredibly hard news for us all, and for those that knew him best.”
The confirmation of death of the officer came only hours after another officer present on January 6th had been reported to have died under the same circumstances. 43 year old Gunther Hashida was found to have committed suicide at about that same time.
Back in late January, reports revealed that Jeffery Smith, a 12 year veteran of the MPD took his life following the breach on January 6th. Days after the January 6th event, the first Capitol Police Officer to die by apparent suicide was Officer Howard Liebengood.
With 4 officers now deceased, said from suicide, some online are raising questions themselves about the cause of death of the officers. Little is known about the specifics surrounding their deaths, so everything otherwise is merely conjecture at this time. It is strange to see so many make this choice after serving the force for such long periods of time, but it is also understandable how pressures, emotional toll and memories of the events of the day may have led the officers to make the choice to end their own lives. Regardless, what is done is done and hopefully there isn’t more to the story than what has been revealed thus far.
On January 6th, more than 100 officers were reportedly injured. 5 people died during the event and in the immediate aftermath of it occurring. At the time, reports were coming out that Officer Brian Sicknick was potentially beaten to death by people at the Capitol, but later was revealed that he had died from natural causes due to strokes, ending the misinformation of speculation. Officer Sicknick died on January 7th.
Trump supporter Ashli Babbitt was shot and killed by an unnamed officer on January 6th. She was one of 4 people to die on the day of January 6th during the event, where 3 others died outside the Capitol building. Two of which were from natural causes as well and the final was determined to be due to a drug overdose.