New York Times retracts report, says Capitol police officer not killed by Trump supporter

The New York Times on Sunday made a correction on its earlier report that the Capitol Police office, Brian Sicknick, was killed by a supporter of former President Donald Trump with a fire extinguisher. The publication on Sunday disclosed that new information emerged on the death of the Capitol Police officer, which it said was not killed by a Trump supporter with a fire extinguisher. The New York Times said the Police Officer actually died of a different cause.

In the corrected version, the story now reads: “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.”

The New York Times, relying on an anonymous source, had in the story said that Sicknick died “from brain injuries he sustained after Trump loyalists who overtook the complex struck him in the dead with a fire extinguisher.”

It was gathered that the article was later cited by a variety of mainstream media outlets without questioning the reporting of the paper. The death was said to have even been brought up by Democrats during Trump’s impeachment trial in the Senate.

It was revealed that investigators have found no evidence of trauma sustained by blows to the head, and nobody has been arrested in connection to Sicknick’s alleged murder.

Sicknick was said to have returned to his duty after the Capitol riot and texted his brother that aside from being pepper sprayed twice, he was otherwise “in good shape.”

According to Capitol police, Sicknick later had a stroke. It is now being investigated whether he inhaled bear spray, and whether that may have contributed to his sudden death.