Gunther Hashida, an officer of the Washington Metropolitan Police who responded on January 6 to the attacks of the mob in favor of former President Donald Trump against the Capitol, has been found dead at his home, in what could be a new suicide case , according to US media have advanced.
“Officer Gunther Hashida, assigned to the Emergency Response Team within the Special Operations Division, has been found dead at his residence on Thursday, July 29,” Police Department spokeswoman Kristen confirmed to CNN on Monday. Metzger.
Hashida, 43, joined the force in 2003. He is the third policeman to die in similar circumstances after that episode in which a mob of exalted men stormed the headquarters of the Judiciary in Washington.
“Officer Hashida was a hero who risked his life to save our Capitol, the congressional community, and our own democracy. All Americans are indebted to him for his great courage and patriotism,” recalled the Speaker of the House of Representatives , Nancy Pelosi.
If the suicide is confirmed, he would be the third among the agents who came to quell the revolt of January 6, the second among the ranks of the Department of Washington DC. Jeffrey Smith, a veteran of this corps, and Howard Liebengood, a Capitol Police officer with more than 16 years of experience, took their own lives a month after that episode.
In addition to them, another Capitol officer, Brian D. Sicknick, died a day later after suffering a stroke.
In recent months, the heavy pressure on officers responding to the riots has come to light. Last week, during the parliamentary committee investigating what happened that day, a group of officers claimed to continue to deal with their families with the trauma caused by the incidents of that day.
Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn took advantage of his appearance before the committee to also encourage his colleagues to seek professional help if they needed it. “What we all went through that day was traumatic, and if you are suffering, there is absolutely nothing wrong with seeking professional advice.”
So far, the Department of Justice has filed charges against more than 550 people, ranging from possession of weapons, insurrection, assault on authority, invasion of restricted state spaces and attempts to paralyze electoral processes.
