DOJ says D.C. officer’s suicide after Jan. 6 riot is line of duty death

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has determined that a U.S. Capitol Police officer who fatally shot himself in April was on active duty at the time of his death related to the Jan. 6 riot and will be classified as a line of duty death. The officer, who was assigned to the National Guard Quick Reaction Force for the event has become the ninth death related to the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. The DOJ said in a statement that the officer was “physically and emotionally affected” by the events of Jan. 6 and his resulting evacuation from the Capitol. The statement added that due to the circumstances, the officer’s death was classified as “on-duty, line of duty death.” The other eight Capitol-related deaths have been attributed to various medical issues.