A U.S. Capitol police officer has died Thursday after yesterday’s violent confrontations between cops and supporters of President Donald Trump, according to reports.
It is the fifth fatality reported after hundreds of Trump loyalists violently broke their way into the U.S. Capitol seeking to stop the certification of the election of Joe Biden.
The death of the officer was first reported by CNN who said it was confirmed by two Capitol Police sources. The name of the officer and cause of death is not known.
It came as the chief of the Capitol Police submitted his resignation on Thursday night after Nancy Pelosi and the union representing his officers called for him to step aside, following the total failure to protect Congress on Wednesday.
Trump supporters try to break through a police barrierWednesday at the Capitol in Washington. As Congress prepared to affirm President-elect Joe Biden’s victory, thousands of people gathered to show their support for President Donald Trump and his claims of fraud
Steve Sund, appointed to the role in June 2019, will step down on January 16 – four days before Joe Biden’s inauguration.
His resignation came after that of the Sergeant at Arms, Paul Irving – whose job it is to protect the House.
Four other deaths have stemmed from Wednesday’s unrest.
Ashli Babbitt, 35, was 35-year-old air force veteran who was fatally shot as by Capitol Police as she breached the the building.
Three others died after suffering medical emergencies.
Paramedics tend to Babbitt moments after she was shot inside the Capitol on Wednesday
Benjamin Phillips, 50, from Pennsylvania died after suffering a stroke; Kevin Greeson, 55, from Alabama suffered a heart attack ‘in the midst of the excitement’.
According to The Inquirer, he described the day as ‘the first day of the rest of our lives’.
‘They should name this year Zero because something will happen,’ his friends claim he said before the riot got underway.
Phillips founded the website Trumparoo, where Trump supporters can speak to each other, and organized transport for dozens of people to get to DC from Pennsylvania on Wednesday.
It’s unclear at what point in the day he suffered his heart attack, or if he was married or had children.
Kevin Greeson, 55, from Alabama (left). His family say he is prone to high blood pressure and suffered a heart attack ‘in the midst of excitement’ on Wednesday. Phillips had organized for dozens of people to drive from PA to DC. He had a stroke then died at the scene
Greeson’s son announced his death on Facebook.
‘My dad had a heart attack yesterday and sadly passed away. We all loved him so much.
‘He was such a great man we all miss you so much. Please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers,’ he said.
Social media photographs show Greeson posing proudly with two AR-15 rifles. He regularly posted on the website Parler where he encouraged violence against Democrats.
Roseanne Boyland, 34, died. Her family told DailyMail.com she was ‘trampled in the Rotunda’
Among recent comments was: ‘Let’s take this f*****g country BACK! Load your guns and take to the s streets.
‘Let’s give them a war… Democrats don’t have guns… we do.. bring your stick, I’m bringing my guns.’
He also tweeted that hydroxychloroquine was a known cure for COVID – which has not been proven.
His family however say he was not violent and was only there to show his support for Trump.
‘Kevin had a history of high blood pressure, and in the midst of the excitement, suffered a heart attack.
‘Our family is devastated.
‘We are thankful for all of the thoughts and prayers and appreciate privacy at this time as we grieve,’ they said.
It’s unclear if the two men were among the violent mob who stormed the building.
Roseanne Boyland, 34, from Georgia was ‘trampled in the Rotunda’, her family told DailyMail.com on Thursday after police she had been potentially ‘crushed’ in the mob.
Her family said she had planned to ‘hang back’ but was emboldened by Trump’s speech earlier on Wednesday.
‘This was her first one. She wasn’t even supposed to go… we all didn’t want her to go. She was hanging back and then after the speech yesterday,’ the relative said.
‘They’re still working on [the details]. Someone said she was trampled, others said she collapsed…. we’re still trying to figure it out.’
Her brother-in-law, Justin Cave, said the rally cost her her life.
He blames Trump for her death.
‘Roseanne, like a lot of people there, was really passionate about her beliefs as was her right.
‘I personally believe that the President incited a riot that cost four of his biggest fans their lives. One of them happened to be my sister.
‘I personally believe we should invoke the 25th amendment.’
In a statement that he read aloud, he said: ‘Our family is devastated by the loss of Roseanne. She was a wonderful sister, daughter and aunt. Anyone who knew her knows how compassionate she was.
‘She would always put others before herself. As we watched these awful events unfold, we hoped that Roseanne was not among the crowd.
‘Tragically, she was and it cost her her life,’ he said.
President Trump has said nothing of their deaths himself.
In a brief statement in the White House briefing room, his press secretary Kayleigh Mcenany said: ‘Those who violently besieged our capitol are the opposite of everything this administration stands for.’
She walked away without taking any questions from the press. Trump’s Twitter and Facebook accounts have been locked.