Kyle DeFreytag.Photo: bensing thomas funeral home
“I am writing to share tragic news that Officer Kyle DeFreytag of the 5th District was found deceased last evening,” Contee wrote to the department last month, WUSA reported. “This is incredibly hard news for us all, and for those that knew him best.”
DeFreytag helped enforce the curfew put in place after a mob of supporters of former PresidentDonald Trumpbreached the Capitol building in an attempt to disrupt the certification of the 2020 election results.
According to anobituary, DeFreytag “liked hiking, camping, riding his motorcycle, he liked traveling and playing the drums,” and “always knew the best places to eat.”
“Kyle was kind, he had a quick wit and a great sense of humor & kept us laughing for 26 years,” the obituary said.
Just hours prior to announcing DeFreytag’s death, Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson Kristen Metzgerconfirmed to CNNthat another officer, Gunther Hashida, was “found deceased in his residence on Thursday, July 29.”
Hashida was assigned to the Emergency Response Team within the Special Operations Division. He joined the police force in 2003, Metzger said in a statement.
“We are grieving as a Department and our thoughts and prayers are with Officer Hashida’s family and friends,” the statement continued.
A fifth officer,Brian Sicknickof the USCP, died on Jan. 7 from injuries he sustained “while physically engaging with protesters” at the riots.
U.S. Capitol building breached.Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty
Last week, four Capitol Police Officersgave emotional testimoniesduring day one of a House Committee hearing on the Jan. 6 riots, explaining how they fought for their own lives while working to protect the building and the lawmakers inside.
Fanone explained how he was beaten and “electrocuted again and again and again” with a taser, while he could hear rioters yelling, “Get his gun and kill him with his own gun.”
“My children continue to deal with the trauma of nearly losing their dad that day,” Fanone continued elsewhere in remarks delivered to the committee. “What makes the struggle harder…is to know so many of the people I put my life at risk to defend are downplaying or outright denying what happened. I feel like I went to hell and back to protect them and the people in this room.”
Growing more emotional, Fanone raised his voice as he lambasted those who have tried to downplay the events of Jan. 6 in the months since the riots, saying: “The indifference shown to my colleagues is disgraceful.”
source: people.com
