Another Washington, DC police officer involved in the response to the riot in the US Capitol has committed suicide, his department confirmed, becoming the third to do so in the aftermath of January 6.
Officer Gunther Hashida was found dead in his home by suicide on July 29, the DC Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) told media outlets on Monday, adding “We are grieving as a Department as our thoughts and prayers are with Officer Hashida’s family and friends.” The officer’s wife, Romelia, also spoke of his passing in a Facebook post on Sunday night.
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi hailed Hashida as a “hero” who “risked his life to save our Capitol, the Congressional community and our very Democracy” in a written statement, adding “May Officer Hashida’s life be an inspiration to all.”
Hashida, who joined the department in 2003, is the third officer present for the incident on January 6 to die by his own hand, with Capitol Police officer Howard Liebengood and MPD officer Jeffrey Smith both committing suicide in the days after the riot.
A third law enforcer, officer Brian Sicknick, also died soon after the unrest. While media reports repeatedly suggested he succumbed to injuries inflicted by rioters, medical examiners later determined he died of natural causes following a pair of strokes.
Four others, all protesters, lost their lives during the riot, including two related to natural causes and one fatal drug overdose, while 35-year-old Ashli Babbitt was shot dead by police near the House chamber inside the Capitol.
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