2 Men Charged With Assaulting Brian Sicknick, Cop Who Died After Capitol Riot

U.S. law enforcement agents have arrested two men who participated in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and charged them with assaulting a police officer who died after responding to the riot.

Julian Elie Khater, 32, of Pennsylvania and George Pierre Tanios, 39, of West Virginia were arrested Sunday and are expected to appear in federal court Monday, The Washington Post first reported.

Khater and Tanios are charged with nine counts, including assaulting U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick with a deadly weapon. Sicknick died as a result of the riot, though authorities have not determined his exact cause of death.

Four rioters also died that day, and two police officers who responded to the attack died by suicide days later.

Khater and Tanios are also charged with assaulting another Capitol police officer and a D.C. police officer with a deadly weapon, as well as with civil disorder and obstruction of a congressional proceeding, the Post reported.

Surveillance footage of the riot shows Khater and Tanios “working together to assault law enforcement officers with an unknown chemical substance by spraying officers directly in the face and eyes,” according to an FBI search warrant filed Sunday. Sicknick was sprayed with bear spray during the attack. 

“Give me that bear shit,” Khater can be heard telling Tanios as he reached into Tanios’ backpack earlier in the day, according to “open source video” recorded that day, authorities said.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.