US Capitol Police Officer Howard Liebengood Who Responded To Capitol Riot Dies Off-Duty
WASHINGTON, DC (WJZ) -- A second US Capitol police officer who responded to the Capitol riots last week has died, Capitol police say.
Officer Howard Liebengood died on January 9 while he was off-duty, the department said Sunday. They did not say what his cause of death was.
Liebengood was a 15-year-old veteran of the department and had been assigned to the Senate division on the day of the riots.
"We are reeling from the death of Officer Liebengood. Every Capitol Police Officer puts the security of others before their own safety and Officer Liebengood was an example of the selfless service that is the hallmark of USCP. This is a tragic day." Union Chairman, Gus Papathanasiou said in a statement.
The US Capitol Police released a statement Sunday announcing Liebengood's death.
"The United States Capitol Police is deeply saddened by the off-duty death on January 9, 2021, of Officer Howard Liebengood, age 51. He was assigned to the Senate Division, and has been with the Department since April 2005. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends, and colleagues.
We ask that his family, and other USCP officers' and their families' privacy be respected during this profoundly difficult time."
