No Evidence To Suggest Cover-Up Behind Capitol Police Suicides
The Claim
Four Capitol Police officers who were reported to have committed suicide may actually have been murdered by the government, in an attempt to silence them.
News posted on
Emerging story
News sources have announced that two more Capitol Police officers who were on duty during the January 6 insurrection have died by suicide. This brings the total number of suicides within the Capitol Police since the insurrection up to four. As this news was breaking, a number of people began insinuating on social media that the officers were actually murdered.
These users suspect that the culprits behind the murders were operatives from within the government or a government agency. Others have not blamed a particular culprit and instead stated that the deaths were no coincidence. Posts claiming or suggesting that the officers were murdered have gained hundreds and, in at least one instance, thousands of interactions.
Misbar’s Analysis
There is no evidence indicating that the government or any other powerful entity murdered the Capitol Police officers. The suicides are unlikely to be coincidental, but not due to a cover-up. Instead, it is more likely to be a suicide cluster, a phenomenon that has been frequently documented as taking place and can be the result of a number of complex factors.
The events of January 6th caused significant trauma for those defending the Capitol building. In terms of physical trauma, the event was one of the worst for law enforcement injuries since 9/11. The emotional trauma has also been well documented, with numerous officers stating that they were suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety as a result of the attack.
Police officers in general experience high rates of mental health issues and suicide. Studies have shown that PTSD and depression is five times more prevalent among police officers than within the civilian population. Police officers are also more likely to die by suicide than from incidents in the line of duty.
Officer Harry Dunn even used part of his time talking to congress to encourage his colleagues to seek professional help regarding the emotional trauma of January 6th. He stated the following: “I want to take this moment and speak to my fellow officers about the emotions they are continuing to experience from the events of January six. There is absolutely nothing wrong with seeking professional counseling.”
Lastly, the speculation that the officers were murdered is possibly fueled by the conspiracy that left-wing operatives orchestrated January sixth in an attempt to defamitize Trump supporters. However, there is no evidence that any left-wing protesters were present at the capitol. Instead, former President Trump publicly encouraged his supporters to attend and derail the certification of the electoral college results.
