Jan. 6 Assault On Brian Sicknick Of South River Ends In NJ Man's Plea​

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — A New Jersey man will plead guilty in connection with the death of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick after the riots on Jan. 6, 2021, court records show.

Sicknick, who grew up in South River, was among several officers who died or were injured during the riot. He was 42.

Officials charged two New Jersey natives, both living out of state at the time, with assaulting him.

Julian Elie Khater, 32, of State College, Pa. and George Pierre Tanios, 39, of Morgantown, W.V.. were charged with assault against a law enforcement officer.

The FBI said two men worked together to bear spray Sicknick and other officers during the riot.

Khater will have a plea agreement hearing Thursday at 12:30 p.m. in front of a District of Columbia judge, court record shows. He relocated to Somerset after closing a business in State College, according to a LinkedIn page for him.

All three men had "significant roots" in Middlesex County, NJ.com reported. Tanios and Khater grew up together and left NJ to open food businesses, a report from last March says. They did not appear to know Sicknick before the riot.

Court records show Khater asked Tanios to "give me that bear shit" while reaching into Tanios' backpack outside the Capitol. Video shows Khater "standing directly across from a line of law enforcement officers" at a bike rack, including Sicknick.

A Metropolitan Police Department officer's body-worn camera captured Khater "observed with his right arm up high in the air, appearing to be holding a canister in his right hand and aiming it in the officers’ direction while moving his right arm from side to side," documents show.

Khater appears to spray something again several minutes later before another MPD officer sprays him, documents show.

A Capital Police officer recently testified that she and Sicknick spent 30 to 45 minutes together, trying to hold back the mob.

The District of Columbia's chief medical examiner found that Sicknick suffered two strokes nearly eight hours after getting chemically sprayed during the riot. Chief Medical Examiner Francisco J. Diaz told The Washington Post in April 2021 that Sicknick died of natural causes, but "all that transpired played a role in his condition."

Sicknick, who grew up in South River was an Iraq War veteran. He graduated from Middlesex County Vocational and Technical School - East Brunswick campus on June 18, 1997.

His cremated remains were lain in honor on Feb. 2, 2021, in the Capitol Rotunda, before they were buried with full honors at Arlington National Cemetary.

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