Union: Capitol Police officer on life support after suffering a stroke

(Image credit: Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images)

last updated 8 January 2021

Gus Papathanasiou, chairman of the Capitol Police Officers' Union, said on Thursday evening he spoke too soon when he announced the death of a Capitol Police officer.

Papathanasiou had said the officer died from a stroke after being on duty Wednesday during the pro-Trump riot on Capitol Hill. When he made the announcement, the union chair said the 40-year-old officer, whose name was not released, was a 15-year veteran of the Capitol Police. He did not share any details on where the officer was stationed during the riot.

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On Wednesday, authorities said four people who participated in the riot had died: one woman was shot while climbing into the House Chamber and three others died from medical emergencies. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund submitted his resignation, effective Jan. 16, on Thursday, following intense criticism over the force's response to the mob. Video shows there were clearly not enough officers on the scene to deal with the crowd, with people pushing past barricades and barreling into the Capitol building.

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

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