Trial set for two men charged with assaulting Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick

Mike Deak, MyCentralJersey.com
·3 min read

WASHINGTON – A federal court judge has set a June 6 trial for two men accused of spraying chemicals in the face of three police officers, including the late Brian Sicknick, during the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2020.

Julian Khater, of State College, Pennsylvania, and George Tanios, of Morgantown, West Virginia, are facing charges of assaulting a law enforcement officer with a weapon, conspiracy to injure an officer, civil disorder, obstruction of an official proceeding, aiding and abetting, and physical violence on the Capitol grounds.

Tanios, who grew up in New Brunswick where his Lebanese immigrant parents ran a luncheonette near the Middlesex County Courthouse, is free on his own recognizance. He is, however, restricted to his residence from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.

USCP Photo of Officer Brian D. Sicknick
USCP Photo of Officer Brian D. Sicknick

Khater, who knew Tanios from growing up together in the New Brunswick area, remains in the District of Columbia Jail.

Both have pleaded not guilty.

Tanios and Khater have not been charged in connection with the death of Sicknick, a South River native.

READ: Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick's memory preserved in NJ hometown

A medical examiner last April determined that Sicknick suffered a stroke and died from natural causes.

Authorities have said Sicknick died in the line of duty the day after the riot. Capitol Police said he collapsed in a district office and died the next day in a hospital. Sicknick told his supervisors and colleagues that he had been sprayed in the face

Khater was charged with three counts of assault on an officer with a dangerous weapon and conspiracy to injure an officer, related to the death of Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
Khater was charged with three counts of assault on an officer with a dangerous weapon and conspiracy to injure an officer, related to the death of Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

According to an FBI affidavit, Khater and Tanios were part of the rioters who were trying to remove bike-rack barriers from the west front on the Capitol on the day a joint session of Congress was to certify the Electoral College vote in the 2020 presidential election.

The FBI examined a video where Khater is approaching Tanios and says, "Give me that bear (expletive)," and reaches into Tanios' backpack. Tanios then says, "hold on, hold on, not yet … it's still early," according to court papers.

Khater then tells Tanios, "They just (expletive) sprayed me" and Khater is holding a white can with a black top that appears to be a can of chemical spray, court papers say.

George Tanios was charged with three counts of assault against a federal officer with a dangerous weapon and conspiracy to injure an officer, relating to the death of Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick during the Capitol riot.
George Tanios was charged with three counts of assault against a federal officer with a dangerous weapon and conspiracy to injure an officer, relating to the death of Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick during the Capitol riot.

A few minutes later, according to the FBI, Khater walks through to the crowd to just a few steps from the row of bike-rack barriers directly across from Sicknick, a fellow Capitol Police Officer identified as C. Edwards and a Metropolitan Police Officer identified as D. Chapman, who was wearing a body camera.

Chapman's body camera shows the rioters begin to pull the bike rack, using ropes and hands. The video then shows Khater with his right arm up in the air, holding a cannister in his hand and aiming it at police officers 5 to 8 feet away, according to court papers.

In reviewing additional video, the three officers then react to something striking them in the face. The officers immediately retreat, bring their hands to their faces and rush to find water to wash out their eyes, court papers say.

The officers were temporarily blinded, according to the FBI, and all three were incapacitated and unable to perform their duties for 20 minutes.

READ: Jan. 6 committee: USA TODAY takes you inside the investigation into the insurrection

Edwards reported "lasting injuries" under her eyes, including scabbing that remained on her face for weeks, according to court papers.

Both Edwards and Chapman described the spray as strong as, if not stronger, than any type of pepper spray that had been exposed to during training, court papers say.

The FBI was able to identify Khater from a tipster who directed authorities to his LinkedIn page.

George Pierre Tanios, 39, of Morgantown, West Virginia, was identified in part by wearing a shirt with a "Sandwich University" logo.
George Pierre Tanios, 39, of Morgantown, West Virginia, was identified in part by wearing a shirt with a "Sandwich University" logo.

The FBI identified Tanios from two tips about a social media post picture from him inside the Capitol. Analysis of the photo showed he was wearing a sweatshirt with the logo of Sandwich University, the restaurant he owned in Morgantown.

A tipster also told the FBI that Tanios had "bragged" about going to the riot at the Capitol.

District Court Judge Thomas Hogan will preside over the trial.

Email: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com

Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Trial set in assault of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick