White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Tuesday mourned two recent suicides of police officers who had responded to the US Capitol insurrection, calling their deaths “a tragic reminder of that shameful day in our nation’s historical past.”
The Metropolitan Police Division publicly disclosed this week that Officer Gunther Hashida was discovered deceased in his residence on July 29 and Kyle DeFreytag was discovered useless on July 10. Each had been deaths by suicide.
“I wished to take a second to acknowledge the passing of Metropolitan Police Officer Gunther Hashida and Officer Kyle DeFreytag — two officers who bravely defended the Capitol each throughout and after the revolt on January 6,” Psaki stated at first of Tuesday’s White House press briefing. “Their deaths are a tragic reminder of that shameful day in our nation’s historical past, and of the bodily and psychological scars it left the officers who risked their lives to guard our Capitol and democracy.”
There have now been 4 recognized suicides by officers who responded to the Capitol throughout the assault, and three recognized suicides by a DC officer particularly.
Psaki added that the officers’ latest passing “reminds us of the exceptional braveness of the women and men of regulation enforcement who serve with honor and depart dwelling every day not realizing what dangers they might face however are decided to guard their communities.”
She additionally mentioned the latest congressional testimonies made by officers who responded to the revolt because the Capitol constructing earlier this yr, saying that “we heard firsthand final week from a few of those that served on that day and their testimony reaffirmed the unimaginable bravery they confirmed within the worst doable circumstances.”
“We’re indebted to their providers and our ideas exit to the chums, household and family members of the 2 officers,” Psaki added.
One of many officers who testified, DC Metropolitan Police officer Michael Fanone, informed CNN’s Don Lemon on “Don Lemon Tonight” Tuesday night: “We have to normalize the dialog about of us combating trauma and psychological well being points. We have to eliminate this stigma that individuals who battle with these points are weak.”
“The strongest those that I’ve ever recognized in my life have grappled with trauma and with the psychological well being difficulties that go together with having survived trauma,” he stated.
The Justice Division has charged greater than 550 folks in reference to the revolt, based on CNN’s newest tally, and the assault is on the heart of a high-profile Home choose committee investigation.
Hashida had joined the Metropolitan Police Division in 2003 and DeFreytag had been with the division since November 2016.
Metropolitan Police Officer Jeffrey Smith, a 12-year veteran of the power, and US Capitol Police Officer Howard Liebengood, a 16-year Capitol Police veteran, additionally responded to the revolt and later died by suicide. A latest Senate report into the safety failures of the day lists each Smith and Liebengood amongst those that “finally misplaced their lives” following the assault.
This story has been up to date with extra info Tuesday on Capitol insurrection
