The Chief Medical Examiner for Washington DC, has announced the official causes of death for four people who died during the Capitol riots January 6 of this year. The formal results have been urgently awaited for months.
Military veteran Ashli Babbitt, 35, officially died from a gunshot to the left shoulder after trying to climb through a broken window to enter the Capitol building. No surprise there.
Two men, Kevin Greeson, 55, and Benjamin Phillips, 50, are now known to have both died naturally of hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The M.E. has not said whether or not the riots were a contributing cause in their cases.
Roseanne Boyland, believed to have died as a result of being crushed by the MAGA crowd, is now officially determined to have died from accidental “acute amphetamine intoxication” instead. Early reports indicated that the 34-year-old Boyland– a Georgia resident who wanted to be a sobriety counselor– was seen in body-camera footage being trampled by rioters as her friend screamed for help. “She’s gonna die! She’s dead! Rosanne! Rosanne!” her friend can be heard yelling as swarming rioters sprayed chemical irritants at Capitol police. Boyland was pronounced dead a short while later.
The M.E. did not include Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick in his announcement, saying instead that results are still “pending.” While two men have been arrested and charged with spraying bear spray at Sicknick hours before he died, experts say being sprayed with bear spray has never killed anyone. The M.E.’s lack of reference to Sicknick’s cause of death makes it impossible for prosecutors to charge either of the two men with his death.
