Death of Howard Liebengood

Howard Charles Liebengood, a United States Capitol Police officer, died by suicide on January 9, 2021, three days after he participated in the law enforcement response to the storming of the Capitol.[1] He was the first of what were reported as two police suicides in the immediate aftermath of the attack, though Metropolitan Police (MPD) officer Jeffrey L. Smith's widow disputes the manner of death.[2][3] In the months after the civil disturbance at the Capitol, it was generally reported that the deaths of five people who were present have, to varying degrees, been related to the event. Some members of Congress and press reports included these two in the number of fatalities, for a total of seven.[4]

January 6 United
States Capitol attack
A gallows (top) and a crowd of attackers amid a cloud of tear gas (bottom) outside the Capitol on January 6, 2021
Timeline • Planning
Background
2020 presidential election
and other causes
Related groups and persons
Participants
Notable people
Organizations
Law enforcement response
Aftermath
Biden inauguration
Investigations and charges
Corporate actions
Reactions
Impeachment

Prior to his death by suicide, Liebengood, 51, worked three 24-hour shifts without sleep.[5][6] Liebengood was survived by his wife Serena, and his two siblings. Liebengood's father, Howard Scholer Liebengood, was well known to many U.S. senators due to his service as the Senate's sergeant at arms. The elder Liebengood went into business in the 80s with Paul Manafort and Roger Stone – even founding the event company that put on the ellipse rally on January 6.

On August 5, 2021, Howard Liebengood, along with Capitol Police officers Brian Sicknick, Metropolitan Police officer Jeffrey L. Smith, as well as an officer who died as a result of a separate 2021 incident Billy Evans, was posthumously honored in a signing ceremony for a bill to award Congressional Gold Medals to Capitol Police and other January 6 responders. His name is noted in the text of the bill, and President Joe Biden remarked on his death.[7][8] On May 14, 2021, the US Capitol Police named their new counseling center after Liebengood.[9]

In November of 2022, the United States Department of Justice classified Liebengood's suicide as a line-of-duty death, enabling his family to receive benefits through the Public Safety Officers' Benefit Program. This was the first designation for an officer who died in connection with the Capitol riot since Congress expanded eligibility to include those suffering from the traumatic effects of what they experienced on duty.[10]

On January 6, 2023, "for his deep dedication and selfless service," Liebengood was posthumously awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal by Biden.[11]

See also

References
  1. "Capitol Police officer who was on duty during the riot has died by suicide, his family says". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  2. Dewan, Shaila (July 30, 2021). "He Killed Himself After the Jan. 6 Riot. Did He Die in the Line of Duty?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  3. "Two officers who helped fight the Capitol mob died by suicide. Many more are hurting". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  4. Multiple sources:
  5. "U.S. Capitol Police "must be held accountable" says wife of officer who died by suicide". www.cbsnews.com. March 18, 2021. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  6. "Off-duty Death of USCP Officer Howard Liebengood". United States Capitol Police. January 9, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  7. Pelosi, Nancy (August 5, 2021). "H.R.3325 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): To award four congressional gold medals to the United States Capitol Police and those who protected the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021". www.congress.gov. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  8. President Biden Delivers Remarks and Signs H.R. 3325, retrieved August 7, 2021
  9. "Wexton Secures Increase in Mental Health and Wellness Funding for the United States Capitol Police in Security Supplemental". U.S. Representative Jennifer Wexton. May 14, 2021. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  10. Broadwater, Luke (November 21, 2022). "Capitol Police Officer's Suicide After Jan. 6 Qualifies for Line-of-Duty Death Benefit". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  11. Moore, Elena (January 6, 2023). "Biden honors police officers and election workers 2 years after the Capitol attack". NPR. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
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