Media Lies Exposed in Capitol Police Officer Death

A January 9, 2021  New York Times story by Maggie Haberman and Michael S. Schmidt reported that “President Trump has not ordered the flags on federal buildings to fly at half-staff in honor of Brian Sicknick a police officer who was killed after trying to fend off pro-Trump loyalists during the siege at the Capitol on Wednesday.  Mr. Sicknick, 42, an officer for the Capitol Police, died on Thursday from brain injuries he sustained after Trump loyalists who overtook the complex struck him in the head with a fire extinguisher, according to two law enforcement officials.”  This description of the officer’s death was broadcast nationally by virtually every major news network.  For example here’s NBC News citing the Times and the Associated Press as the source.  The problem is, they were lying.  Officer Sicknick was not hit with a fire extinguisher and did not die from injuries from fending off supporters of President Trump.  Hours after the storming of the Capitol had ended, Sicknick died in his office from a stroke according to the Medical Examiner.  A real reporter could have gotten better facts on January 6th, but the false version was reported into February.

According to a January 14 story from Reuters the Capitol rioters had “guns and bombs,” but days later in testimony before a House committee, the FBI’s Deputy Director of Counterterrorism told the members that the FBI had found no firearms on any of the insurgents.  While no serious person is going to diminish the seriousness of an angry mob breaking into our nation’s capitol, the picture painted by the national media was fabricated.  News stories reported that five people were killed by an armed mob of Trump supporters.  But the only person shot during this insurrection was an unarmed woman by a Capitol Police Officer.  With the exception of Officer Sicknick, the other three deaths included two middle-aged men who died of heart attacks and a woman who overdosed on Amphetamines.

By contrast, 17 people were killed during the “mostly peaceful” George Floyd riots last Summer.  Most of the victims were shot and most of the victims were African American.  Instead of lying about this, the mainstream media just didn’t cover these deaths.

A Gallup poll of 20,000 Americans taken last August found that fifty-four percent of respondents believe that reporters intentionally misrepresent facts, and 28% believe reporters make the facts up entirely.  It is unfortunate that 46% still believe that the media is reporting honestly.