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Aug 2, 2021 - Politics & Policy

Third police officer who responded to Jan. 6 Capitol riot dies by suicide

Ivana Saric
Members of the U.S. Capitol Police rush to respond to rioters on Jan. 6, 2021.

Members of the U.S. Capitol Police rush to respond to rioters on Jan. 6, 2021. Photo: Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images

A Washington, D.C. police officer who responded to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot died by suicide last week, a spokesperson for the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department has confirmed.

Why it matters: Officer Gunther Hashida is the third police officer known to have died by suicide after defending the Capitol building during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

The big picture: Hashida had worked on the department's Emergency Response Team and had been at MPD since 2003. He was found deceased in his home on Thursday, per the statement.

  • "We are grieving as a Department as our thoughts and prayers are with Officer Hashida’s family and friends," read the statement from MPD.

State of play: Metropolitan Police officer Jeffrey Smith, 35, and Capitol Police officer Howard Liebengood, 51, had both responded to the attack on the Capitol and took their own lives in the following days.

  • Last week four officers gave emotional testimony before the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection, detailing their experiences confronting the rioters.

If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (En Español: 1-888-628-9454; Deaf and Hard of Hearing: dial 711 then 1-800-273-8255) or the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.

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