“Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick suffered two strokes, died of natural causes: officials. DC chief medical examiner says there is no evidence that chemical irritants or blunt force trauma caused the officer’s death.”

No, the officer wasn’t hit on the head with a fire extinguisher, as was widely reported, nor did he die from chemical irritants like bear spray. He died of natural causes, as did 3 or the 4 demonstrators who died. So not 5 but only 1 was killed that day.

She was 35-year-old Air Force vet Ashli Babbitt, who was shot by police when attempting to climb through broken glass of an inner door – that someone else had broken. Ashli was surrounded by other demonstrators, was close to police, and was attacking or threatening no one.

She was trespassing into an area she was forbidden to be in. Was she – or anyone else – warned that they were trespassing? Was she – or anyone else – warned that this was an unlawful assembly, a riot? Law going back to the English Riot Act of 1714 requires such a warning before rioters are dispersed or arrested, but was one given that day? No one is sure.

What happens if a trespasser enters my home against my will? I can warn him to leave. I can call 911. Then I can physically evict him. But if he is unarmed and is threatening no one, I cannot use deadly force. If I do, I will go to prison. But the unnamed Capitol Police officer did exactly that and will go unpunished. As the cliché goes, if they didn’t have double standards, they would have no standards at all.

I would bet serious money that the lie will find its way into history books, if it hasn’t already: “Five people killed at Capitol insurrection. Police Officer died of blow to head with fire extinguisher. Rioter Ashli Babbitt shot while threatening members of Congress.” As the proverb says, a lie goes halfway around the world before the truth gets its pants on. And in this case, the truth hit the snooze button and is still asleep in bed.

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