Fourth Jan 6 Capitol Riot Cop Found Dead
Death of DC Metropolitan Officer Kyle DeFreytag, 26, reported as suicide
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A fourth Washington D.C. police officer, who was at the U.S. Capitol riots on January 6, has been found dead.
26-year-old Kyle DeFreytag died on July 10, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) has just announced.
His death has been reported by MPD officials as a suicide.
He had responded to the riots at the Capitol building on Jan 6th and had worked the later shift on that day, positioned outside the Capitol.
DeFreytag had been a Metropolitan Police Department officer in the city’s 5th District for five years, according to his obituary.
The young cop was at the Capitol on the day of the rioting, working a late shift serving to enforce curfew violations, Metropolitan Police confirmed to WUSA9.
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"I am writing to share tragic news that Officer Kyle DeFreytag of the 5th District was found deceased last evening," Chief Robert J. Contee III wrote in a message to the department in mid-July.
"This is incredibly hard news for us all, and for those that knew him best."
The announcement of his death on Monday came just hours after Neon Nettle revealed a third had officer taken his own life following the riots.
DC Metropolitan Officer Gunther Hashida, 43, died on July 29, his family announced in a GoFundMe account.
He would have turned 44 this coming Thursday.
It's unclear how he killed himself and his family have not attributed his death to the riot on January 6.
He leaves behind a wife and three children.
"On July 29, 2021, we lost Gunther Hashida, who leaves behind a loving wife, sister, 3 children, and a wonderful family," his sister-in-law said in the description on his GoFundMe page.
She added: "In his work as an officer with the DC Metropolitan Police Department, he worked to serve and protect the public.
"He was a devoted and loving husband and father."
U.S. Capitol Police officer Howard Liebengood killed himself three days after the riot and DC Police Officer Jeffrey Smith shot himself on his way to work on January 15.
"I do believe if he did not go to work that day, he would be here and we would not be having this conversation," Jeffrey's wife Erin told The New York Times earlier this week.
The first police officer to be found dead was 51-year-old Howard Liebengood.
Liebengood died on January 9 while off-duty.
He had worked for the United States Capitol Police since April 2005 and was assigned to the Senate Division.
Liebengood's widow, Serena Liebengood, declared that the USCP "must be held accountable" for her husband's death.
She is also calling on USCP to reclassify Liebengood's death to "in the line of duty."
"What must not be lost in all of this is my beloved husband died as the result his dedication to the USCP and the sacrifices he made to his well-being on January 6 and the ensuing days, just as assuredly as if he had been slain on the Capitol steps," Serena stated in the letter, which was obtained by CBS.
Serena further stated in the letter: "There is no way to convey what our family is going through, as we struggle to simply function in our grief."
"Although Howie was severely sleep-deprived, he remained on duty — as he was directed — practically around the clock from January 6th through the 9th."
Liebengood was found dead at home "on the evening of the 9th," his widow confirmed.
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The second officer to die in the wake of the riots was Jeffrey Smith, 35, who shot himself in the head on January 15 as he headed into work for an overnight shift.
In an interview with The Washington Post, his wife, Erin, questioned the medical care he received after being hit with a metal pole during the rioting.
After being injured on January 6, Erin noted that her husband seemed in constant pain, unable to turn his head.
Jeffrey didn't leave the house or even walk the couple's dog.
She said that the cop refused to talk to other people and she would find him pacing the house in the middle of the night.
Smith was found in his beloved Ford Mustang.
The vehicle had rolled into an embankment along the George Washington Memorial Parkway, just a little ways away.
Police have refused to disclose medical details to Smith's wife, citing privacy laws.
However, she is now demanding his complete medical file, as she wonders whether he husband had a serious head injury, despite being ordered back to work.
The widow shares that she and her husband barely discussed the events at the Capitol.
Smith had not been diagnosed or exhibited signs of depression prior to then, lawyer's for the family said.
Erin does believe that her husband hated the idea of returning back to work.
"If he didn't go to work that day, he would still be alive," she said.
