Police officer Gunther Hashida from Washington DC, who had responded to the
US Capitol riots on January 6, has died by suicide, the Metropolitan Police
Department said.

“Officer Hashida, assigned to the
Emergency Response Team within the Special Operations Division, was found
deceased in his residence on Thursday, July 29,” department spokesperson
Kristen Metzger was quoted as saying by CNN.

Also Read: House passes $2.1 billion spending on Capitol security after unanimous Senate vote

Metzger said that Hashida had joined the force
in 2003 and was a responder during the January 6 riots at the US Capitol when
scores of Trump supporters stormed the building.

“We are grieving as a Department and our
thoughts and prayers are with Officer Hashida’s family and friends,”
Metzger added.

Officer Hashida’s suicide is third such
incident among the officers who responded to the riots and second among the DC
police.

Metropolitan Police Officer Jeffrey Smith and
US Capitol Police Officer Howard Liebengood were also among  the responders to the riots and later died by
suicide.  Another Capitol Police officer,
Brian Sicknick, suffered strokes and died of natural causes one day after
responding to the attack.

Also Read: US DOJ allows testimonies of former employees on Capitol riots

The US Justice Department has filed charges
against more than 550 people in connection with the attack , according to CNN.
The riots have become a hot and polarising topic in the country and is at the
center of a high-profile House select committee investigation.

The committee held its first hearing late last
month where it heard accounts from several police officers who were present
during the riots. Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn delivered an emotional plea
to officers who defended the Capitol to seek out professional help if they need
it, CNN reported.