NJ's Sicknick Honored With Congressional Medal, Watson Coleman Says Grateful For Service

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ – Capitol Police Office Brian Sicknick, who died a day after the Jan. 6 riots in D.C., was honored with the Congressional Gold Medal on Tuesday.

A resident of NJ-12, Sicknick grew up in South River and attended the Middlesex County Vocational and Technical School - East Brunswick campus.

The ceremony on Tuesday honored law enforcement officers who defended the U.S. Capitol during the insurrection on Jan. 6.

The District of Columbia's chief medical examiner found that Sicknick suffered two strokes nearly eight hours after getting bear sprayed during the riot.

Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) attended Tuesday’s ceremony and honored Sicknick, who died after suffering two strokes the day after the insurrection.

“January 6, 2021 marked the single greatest attack on American democracy since the Civil War. And just as it did after Lee surrendered at Appomattox, freedom prevailed over oppression. Without the valor and sacrifice of our Capitol Police and other law enforcement officers, we may have seen a very different outcome,” Watson Coleman said in a media statement.

“In no uncertain terms, the valiant officers who protected the Capitol that day are heroes. I thank each and every officer who risked everything in service of our nation. My heart goes out to the families of those who made the ultimate sacrifice, including New Jersey native Brian Sicknick. After sustaining injuries in the line of duty, Officer Sicknick sadly passed away the day after the assault on the Capitol.”

During the ceremony, Sicknick’s family refused to shake hands with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority leader Kevin McCarthy. More: Family Of Brian Sicknick Snubs GOP Leaders At Medal Ceremony

The ceremony comes after legislation passed last year aimed at honoring the fallen U.S. Capitol Police officers who guarded the area during the insurrection. Twenty-one House Republicans voted no to the bill. More: Jan. 6 Hearing Recounts NJ Native, Cop Defending U.S. Capitol

“The Congressional Gold Medal is the United States’ highest civilian honor. In our nation’s 250-year history, only 173 have been awarded. In receiving this award, Officer Sicknick and his law enforcement colleagues join the ranks of such giants as Rosa Parks, Raoul Wallenberg, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,” Watson Coleman said. “These brave men and women are defenders of democracy in the most literal sense of the phrase. I am eternally grateful for their service and will be forever in their debt.”

Earlier this year, officials charged two New Jersey natives, both living out of state at the time, with assaulting him. More: Jan. 6 Assault On Brian Sicknick Of South River Ends In NJ Man's Plea

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