Trial Set for State College Man in Assault of Capitol Officer Who Died

A June 6 trial is scheduled for Julian Khater of State College and George Tanios of Morgantown, West Virginia, in the assault of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who died after the attack on the US Capitol.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A tentative trial date has been set for two men charged in the assault of a police officer who died after defending the US Capitol in January 2021.

A federal judge in Washington, DC, on Thursday scheduled a June 6 jury trial for Julian Khater of State College and George Tanios of Morgantown, West Virginia.

Prosecutors have said Khater, 32, sprayed US Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick and other officers with chemicals after retrieving a canister from Tanios’ backpack. Sicknick later collapsed and died. 

Khater, who remains behind bars, has pleaded not guilty to assault charges. He is one of the more than 60 Pennsylvanians who have been arrested for participating in the deadly Capitol attack. The only state with more residents arrested in connection to the insurrection is Florida.

Tanios, who is free on personal recognizance, faces numerous charges, including assault on a federal officer with a dangerous weapon.

Neither Tanios nor Khater have been charged in Sicknick’s death.

A Washington medical examiner last April determined that Sicknick suffered a stroke and died from natural causes.

Capitol Police accepted the medical examiner’s findings but said the ruling didn’t change the fact that Sicknick had died in the line of duty, “courageously defending Congress and the Capitol.”

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.