PA Man Among The Dead Following Capitol Riots

PENNSYLVANIA — A Pennsylvania man is among four people who died during the riots in Washington D.C. on Wednesday afternoon, as mobs stormed and breached the U.S. Capitol building.

Benjamin Phillips, 50, of Ringtown in Schuylkill County, died of an unspecified "medical emergency," according to a news briefing from Metropolitan Police Chief Robert J. Contee III Thursday afternoon.

Two others, 34-year-old Roseanne Boyland from Kennesaw, Georgia and 55-year-old Kevin Greeson from Athens, Alabama, also died of medical emergencies. Further details on the nature of their medical episodes were not released by police.

Their deaths are, however, being classified as distinct from that of Ashli Babbitt, a 35-year-old from San Diego, California who was shot and killed by Capitol Police. That shooting incident is under investigation.

"Today, we saw an affront on not only our American democracy, but our DC values — the values that make the District of Columbia a welcoming, diverse, and inclusive city," Contee said.

The individuals killed were among thousands from around the nation who marched in Washington Wednesday in protest of the certification of the Electoral College vote naming Joe Biden as the next president.

The protests turned violent in the afternoon when mobs stormed the Capitol steps and breached the Senate chambers, forcing the special joint session of U.S. Congress to be delayed.

Over objections from Pennsylvania Republicans and chaotic confrontations which nearly led to blows, the Electoral College vote was certified.