Gov. Inslee orders flags at half-staff in honor of Capitol police officers

January 11, 2021 10:12 AM

Monica Petruzzelli,

Posted: January 11, 2021 10:12 AM

Updated: January 11, 2021 11:32 AM

by Monica Petruzzelli

WASHINGTON – Governor Inslee directed Washington and U.S. flags be lowered to half-staff on Monday, in honor of two police officers who have died since the riot at the nation’s capitol on Wednesday.

“Today I directed that WA state & U.S. flags at all state agency facilities be lowered to half-staff immediately, in honor of fallen U.S. Capitol Police Officers Brian Sicknick and Howard Liebengood, and all Capitol Police officers and law enforcement across the nation,” the Governor wrote on his Twitter account.

Prosecutors in the US Attorney’s office plan to open a federal murder investigation into the death of Brian D. Sicknick, a US Capitol Police officer who died Thursday night of injuries he sustained during the riot.

Another Capitol Police Officer, Howard Liebengood, who also responded to the riot, reportedly died of suicide over the weekend.

Today I directed that WA state & U.S. flags at all state agency facilities be lowered to half-staff immediately, in honor of fallen U.S. Capitol Police Officers Brian Sicknick and Howard Liebengood, and all Capitol Police officers and law enforcement across the nation.

— Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) January 11, 2021

He went to say that that questions regarding why the Capitol police department wasn’t prepared for the riot shouldn’t overshadow the officer’s courage.

We should not allow serious questions about why the U. S. Capitol security was under resourced to overshadow the personal courage of Officer Brian Sicknick and many of his colleagues who stepped into harm’s way. We honor Officer Sicknick today and his service and courage.

— Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) January 10, 2021

Gov. Inslee directs the flag to be lowered to half-staff on these occasions:

Peace Officers Memorial Day, May 15 (unless that day is also Armed Forces Day)
Memorial Day, flag lowered from sunrise to noon
Patriot Day, September 11
National Firefighters Memorial Day, October (typically during Fire Prevention Week)
National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, December 7
In the event of the death of a principal federal or state government official
In the event of the death of a state government employee, or a member of the public safety community, killed in the line of duty
In the event of the death of a member of the armed forces from Washington state while serving on active duty