DC police officer who responded to US Capitol riot died by suicide days later, chief says

[Dennis Donovan]

https://www.fox5dc.com/news/dc-police-officer-who-responded-to-us-capitol-riot-died-by-suicide-days-later-chief-says

By FOX 5 Digital Team Published 14 hours ago Updated 2 hours ago

WASHINGTON (FOX 5 DC) - A D.C. police officer who responded to the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6 died by suicide days later.

On Tuesday, Acting MPD police chief Robert J. Contee III said in an opening statement before a closed session of the House Appropriations Committee that Officer Jeffrey Smith took his own life in the aftermath of the riot.

The Washington Post reports Smith was a 12-year veteran who was assigned to patrol in D.C.'s 2nd District, which includes the neighborhoods of Chevy Chase, Cleveland Park and Georgetown, according to a department spokesman.

READ MORE: Capitol Police chief apologizes for failing to prepare for US Capitol riot

Fifteen-year veteran Capitol Police Officer Howard Liebengood also died by suicide days after responding to the deadly riot.

Five people lost their lives during the attack, including Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick.

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[MontanaMama]

1. Tragic.

Also very curious why two members of the CP would take their own lives after the insurrection. I’m very sorry for their families’ loss. And, I hope we find out what really happened here.

[bottomofthehill]

3. One capitol police officer, one metropolitan officer.

It could have happened for any of thousands of reasons. Depression, feeling of failure, National ridicule, shock, horror of what their fellow countrymen/women had done, shock that former or active military or LE were involved.....thousands of reasons. Unfortunately they did not or were not able to get to a mental health professional prior to finding the solution they went with.

[Leghorn21]

4. +++

A tweeter wrote

“Combat PTSD is tough. LE didn’t sign up for that

Contee said many aspects of local policing will have to be revisited to confront new threats of domestic terrorism, including training that at present “neither anticipates nor prepares” officers for “hours of hand-to-hand combat.”

Until a person has been where these cops were that day, they have no fucking clue what it was like

Fighting for your life for “hours of hand-to-hand combat” - no, not me, I can’t begin to imagine

[bottomofthehill]

5. Even people watching at home could have PTSD

This was a pitched battle for our democracy against our own countrymen/women. How anyone can try to defend this on any level (those in the Senate) can fuck off and die.

[Walleye]

9. Yes I can't get those images out of my head. I've never seen anything so violent

[bottomofthehill]

2. So sorry for Metropolitans Loss of Officer Smith

It was a bizarre Mid-evil type battle on the West Front of the US Capitol. A lot of people have to have their confidence in their training and their faith in their fellow man shaken.

[CTyankee]

6. I was in shock that day. I had to go to the dentist for dental pain and he had to extract the tooth.

I sat in his chair while tears streamed down my face. My dentist, a strong Dem, was SO empathetic as was his assistant who patted my shoulder to comfort me.

So here i am so many miles away crying and feeling helpless while those officers were trying to protect the very Capitol of our country! Yeah, I can understand their shock and disbelief in having to protect the U.S. against DOMESTIC revolters.

[bottomofthehill]

8. I am sorry that we all went through this.

This was not some video game these people were living it. You make my point exactly, it was traumatic to watch, now imagine being in the middle of it like these officers were. Absolutely insane.

[Arne]

7. Contrast this with 1970 Kent state Ohio.

Both caused by the order of an insane president.