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Sicknick death not attributable to Capitol Hill Riot according to prosecutors

Sicknick death not attributable to Capitol Hill Riot according to prosecutors

Despite the professional conclusion of the medical examiner, that Capitol Hill Officer Brian Sicknick’s death was from natural causes unrelated to the January 6th riot, Democrats and the media left-wingers have kept insisting that Sicknick was one of the victims of the riot.

There is no doubt that Sicknick was assaulted by rioters.  That was obvious in the videos.  But his death was a tragedy unrelated to the riot.

The media’s ginned up and perpetuated baseless theory that Sicknick died due to undetermined injuries he secured at the scene of the riot took another blow.  Two men arrested in March have now been  charged in the assault on Sicknick.  They are George Pierre Tanios, 39, of Morgantown, West Virginia., and Julian Elie Khater, 32, of State College, Pennsylvania.

They have been charged with conspiracy to injure an officer, assaulting an officer with a dangerous weapon, civil disorder, obstruction of an official proceeding and other charges.  None of the charges were related to the death of the officer.  In view of the media reports, the lack of such charges is noteworthy.  

From all the charges that were leveled, it is clear federal prosecutors want to throw the book at the culprits.  If they had any ability to link the rioting to the death of Sicknick, they would most certainly have piled on those charges.

Though the left keeps talking about “multiple deaths” as a result of the rioting, there is only one death that is legitimately applicable – and that is the death of Ashli Babbitt, who was shot by Capitol police as she tried to break into the House chamber.  A number of officers were injured – some seriously.

The left’s list includes two officers who committed suicide weeks and months after the riot.  That is ridiculous – and nothing more than Democrats and the media trying to make the Capitol Hill riot much more than it really was.

It is noteworthy that wherever the claims and accusations of the left in the court-of-public-opinion come into contact with the real court-of-law, the political hyperbole is dramatically exposed.  No rioter has been charged in the connection of any deaths.  No rioter has been charged with insurrection or sedition.

I am tough on rioters.  I have no problem with throwing the book at them.  What happened on Capitol Hill on January 6th was awful … disgusting … and criminal.  I think Capitol Police were in their rights to use guns more than that one time.  But to inflate the events and the results out of all connection to reality for political reasons is just wrong … wrong … wrong.

I only lament the fact that all those other rioters who have done more damage, more injuries and more death by far than what happened on Capitol Hill are not treated with the same level of law enforcement.  That defies America’s claim of rule-of-law and equal justice.

Tanios and Khater will likely serve some jail time – although not enough to sate the left’s desire for vigilante justice to support their lies and exaggerations about what happened on January 6th.

So, there ‘tis.

About The Author

Larry Horist

So, there ‘tis… The opinions, perspectives and analyses of businessman, conservative writer and political strategist Larry Horist. Larry has an extensive background in economics and public policy. For more than 40 years, he ran his own Chicago based consulting firm. His clients included such conservative icons as Steve Forbes and Milton Friedman. He has served as a consultant to the Nixon White House and travelled the country as a spokesman for President Reagan’s economic reforms. Larry professional emphasis has been on civil rights and education. He was consultant to both the Chicago and the Detroit boards of education, the Educational Choice Foundation, the Chicago Teachers Academy and the Chicago Academy for the Performing Arts. Larry has testified as an expert witness before numerous legislative bodies, including the U. S. Congress, and has lectured at colleges and universities, including Harvard, Northwestern and DePaul. He served as Executive Director of the City Club of Chicago, where he led a successful two-year campaign to save the historic Chicago Theatre from the wrecking ball. Larry has been a guest on hundreds of public affairs talk shows, and hosted his own program, “Chicago In Sight,” on WIND radio. An award-winning debater, his insightful and sometimes controversial commentaries have appeared on the editorial pages of newspapers across the nation. He is praised by audiences for his style, substance and sense of humor. Larry retired from his consulting business to devote his time to writing. His books include a humorous look at collecting, “The Acrapulators’ Guide”, and a more serious history of the Democratic Party’s role in de facto institutional racism, “Who Put Blacks in That PLACE? -- The Long Sad History of the Democratic Party’s Oppression of Black Americans ... to This Day”. Larry currently lives in Boca Raton, Florida.

7 Comments

  1. frank stetson

    Had to check the date twice on this one, wasn’t this solved like in March 2021? No new news here is there? Yes, lots of confusion and misstatements in the early days, both sides of the aisle and journalists abounding.

    How about an update: 684 charged, over 105 pleaded guilty so far. Yes, sentences seem light.

    This number will grow larger, investigations continue and the web “detectives” are very, very good.

    Here’s your table of each of the 684 charges, no sedition, none expected unless facts change like active Congressional support for example, very hard to prove. A number of conspiracy charges, that’s getting closer, of the 86 pages of the table, 5 are for conspiracy.

    https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/most-of-the-arrests-from-the-capitol-riots-have-been-misdemeanor-curfew-violations-this-searchable-table-shows-everyone-charged-so-far-/articleshow/80193894.cms

    “I only lament the fact that all those other rioters who have done more damage, more injuries and more death by far than what happened on Capitol Hill are not treated with the same level of law enforcement. ” Not exactly my takeaway from an attack on Congress to lament other rioters. I am sorry —- more damage than entering the hallowed halls of our country’s government. What’s next, the War of 1812 was just a prelude to the Beatles Invasion? Deflection.

    Here are the guilty pleas:

    https://www.insider.com/capitol-rioters-who-pleaded-guilty-updated-list-2021-5

    Three assaults, three conspiracy, scads of “parading.” Bear in mind, the low hanging fruit is being processed first. The court system is overwhelmed, they are bringing in additional resources, but the numbers are, how do you say it: YUGE. The later cases will be the egregious ones, but don’t expect sedition unless future investigations turn up enough evidence to be prosecutable. Sedition cases have a very high bar, especially ones against US citizens which I guess applies here.

    My only lament is that the sentences are somewhat light. The longest is 14 months time and this guy wasn’t even there for poor messaging. The longest charge asked for, so far, but not adjudicated, is 6.5 years.

    Two people are facing life: “Officials said the lawyers, Colinford Mattis and Urooj Rahman, threw a Molotov cocktail at an empty, already vandalized police vehicle and drove away.” But then again, they are BLM. A total of 13,000 blm-ers have been arrested, 300 have thus far been charged with federal crimes, more coming. Some face 15 years in jail. My only lament is that white offenders are not treated the same as black offenders, and vice-versa.

    https://www.insider.com/black-lives-matter-demonstrators-facing-charges-protests-2020-9

    How do you like those apples?

    • larry Horist

      No news? Allow me to educate you. The news were the charges against to two guys who attacked Sicknick. That just happened. And what was relevant is that they were not charged with contributing to Sicknick’s death. That is relevant because those on the left and on the telly keep listing Sicknick as having been killed because of the riot. So, when NEW facts disprove that bit of political propaganda, it is appropriate to comment further. Apparently you missed the more recent NEWS.

      Yes, urban riots caused more damage. There was damage to the Capitol … but nothing that could not be repaired in a few days or weeks. And you compare that to people having their homes and businesses completely destroyed by looting and arson. All you have to do to check out the estimated cost of the damages …. nominal for the Capitol. Huge for a lot of those neighborhoods. I cannot see how you can even suggest that damage to the Capitol was even close to even one urban riot.

      Very few rioters, looter or arsonists face charges. Most arrested were set free the next day … with Kamala Harris raising money for their bail. You site a couple of the most serious criminals, but there was not mass arrests and prosecutions like you see with the Hill rioters. In this case, black offenders are getting special treatment … black privilege?

      You can lament that the sentences have been too light for the Capitol Hill rioters, but you are operating in the court-of-public-opinion where biases and prejudices rule. The prosecutors have to apply the law. That is why the political claims of insurrection and sedition are just political hype. The charges are were the rubber hits the road. They tell us what happened … and what did not.

      Frank .. you are living with political narratives … not facts.

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  4. frank stetson

    Moderation in all things. Apparently not. Now bots have the safety of the first amendment too!

  5. frank stetson

    “Allow me to educate you.” Let me guess, you want to be my friend… Sweet words Larry, how did you expect me to take that.

    “Frank .. you are living with political narratives … not facts.” says the man who proceeded this with paragraph upon paragraph of anectdotal conclusion without a statistic, source, or link in sight.

    Actually, Larry, if you had read the next sentence, you would have noted that I said this story came out months earlier and YOU were adding no new news. I thought the charges were filed in March, did not include homicide or manslaughter so I am not sure what changed? Yes, we have new evidence that there is no win for homicide or manslaughter charges, but they were never filed, were they? Just not sure what you added to the March stories…… And while you can put your spin on it, and while technically, these folks did not stab Sicknick in the heart, I have very little doubt that Sicknick would have not died on that date, in that place, if it wasn’t for the riot. Sure, can’t blame any individual, but I have no problem blaming the group and blaming Donald J Trump for Mr Sicknick’s, and the other’s deaths.

    “There was damage to the Capitol … but nothing that could not be repaired in a few days or weeks.” Really Larry. And the summer riot damage would take longer?

    There is no evidence that the black offenders got off easier than these white capitol offenders. Statistics show greater arrests for blacks, higher charges, and longer sentences and fines. Period. It’s called systemic racism. Sure, might be DC, but it’s the other DC, the Capitol part….

    Larry, you are spewing words without sources, links, or even a statistic. Just your own personal unsupported conclusions. At least I came loaded with links…. :>)

    I am glad you have the charges for the capitol riots down pat. Since the range seems to be 1.5M to 30M to $2B to $30B. Having grown up in DC during the time where we invented the term “metro bucks” to describe the cost overruns, you know $1.5M is ridiculous. How about $30B https://taskandpurpose.com/news/financial-cost-capitol-insurrection/

    The architect claims $30M for the building, and rising: https://www.npr.org/sections/insurrection-at-the-capitol/2021/02/24/970977612/architect-of-the-capitol-outlines-30-million-in-damages-from-pro-trump-riot

    National Guard at $.5B alone: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-04/national-guard-s-post-riot-deployment-cost-at-least-480-million

    The summer riots: George Floyd at $2B https://fee.org/articles/george-floyd-riots-caused-record-setting-2-billion-in-damage-new-report-says-here-s-why-the-true-cost-is-even-higher/

    Portland riots at $23M: https://katu.com/news/local/portland-police-plan-to-address-nightly-protests

    I would have to imagine that the summer riots cost more Larry. But, I did not see you prove it except to hint that since they were many and the Capitol is one, therefore…. so what? Are we measuring how unlawful people are based on the damage cost? Can we add “good will” to that? What’s the “good will” for the nation’s Capitol against some strip malls? How many unrepairable, unrestorable pieces of history bit the dust at the Capitol versus some easily perfectly restorable big box stores? What is the cost in the national psyche for putting the Capitol in a cage because of an active domestic terrorism threat? How many State Capitols had to go through the same physical hardening after 1/6? At least 50 had to review plans and risks.

    The Fed spent $1.8B on the Capitol defense, so far: https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-capitol-siege-riots-government-and-politics-5a2319f8bc63521a6314faa55c55ae33

    All 50 State Capitols spent money: https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2021-01-17/statehouses-us-capital-brace-for-potentially-violent-week

    Do the work Larry, then print the story……