Police officer dies from injuries suffered during Capitol storming

A US Capitol Police officer, Brian Sicknick, has died of injuries suffered when supporters of President Donald Trump assaulted the legislative building, the force said, bringing to five the number dead from the riot.

Wednesday's breach of the US Capitol building took place as lawmakers were in the building certifying the victory of President-elect Joe Biden.

"Officer Sicknick was responding to the riots ... and was injured while physically engaging with protesters," police said in a statement.

He died on Thursday after being taken to hospital following his collapse afer he returned to his divisional office, it said. An affiliate of CBS News reported that Sicknick was a 15-year veteran of the force and 40-years-old.

Mr Sicknick died around 9:30 pm on Thursday, US Capitol Police announced today.

The report said he had earlier suffered a stroke and was on life support before his death.

A source told the US programme NewsNation on Thursday that he had been assaulted with a fire extinguisher during the confrontation.

Metropolitan homicide officials will investigate the death of Sicknick, who joined the US Capitol Police in 2008, along with the Capitol force and its federal partners, police said.

US Capitol Police said: "Officer Sicknick joined the USCP in July 2008, and most recently served in the Department’s First Responder’s Unit.

"The entire USCP Department expresses its deepest sympathies to Officer Sicknick’s family and friends on their loss, and mourns the loss of a friend and colleague."

Four protesters have also died have been identified in the aftermath of the storming of the Capitol building.

Ashli Babbitt, 35 was shot by Capitol Police while in the building.

Roseanne Boyland, 34, Kevin Greeson, 55, and Benjamin Phillips, 50, died after suffering "medical emergencies."

Chief Robert Contee of the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington said on Wednesday evening: "One adult female and two adult males appear to have suffered from separate medical emergencies...which resulted in their deaths."