KEEPERS WAS IN CONTACT WITH
DIFFERENT FAR RIGHT EXTREMIST
GROUPS, INCLUDING THE PROUD BOYS
IN THE WEEKS LEADING UP TO THE
INSURRECTION.
THERE ARE NEW VIDEOS RELEASED BY
THE "NEW YORK TIMES" THAT SHOW
WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED TO
OFFICER BRIAN SICKNICK.
WE WARN YOU THAT THE VIDEO MIGHT
BE DISTURBING.
ONE OF THE SUSPECTS HIGHLIGHTED
BY "THE TIMES" APPEARS TO RAISE
A PEPPER SPRAY CAN OR SPRAY CAN
OF SOME SORT AND THEN SPRAYS IN
THE DIRECTION OF OFFICER
SICKNICK.
YOU COULD THEN SEE SICKNICK
TURNING AWAY AFTER BEING HIT BY
THE SPRAY.
JOINING ME NOW IS MSNBC JUSTICE
CORRESPONDENT PETE WILLIAMS.
PETE, DO THEY KNOW WHO DID IT,
WHO SPRAYED HIM, AND CAN THEY
MAKE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THAT
INCIDENT AND HIS DEATH?
>> WELL, TWO PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
CHARGED WITH SPRAYING SICKNICK
AND TWO OTHER POLICE OFFICERS.
THEY’VE BEEN CHARGED WITH
ASSAULTING POLICE OFFICERS AND
ASSAULTING USING A DANGEROUS
WEAPON.
THE COURT DOCUMENTS DON’T
DIRECTLY SAY THAT IT WAS, IN
FACT, BEAR SPRAY, BUT
PROSECUTORS HAVE SAID ONE OF THE
TWO MEN BOUGHT A CAN OF BEAR
SPRAY JUST BEFORE COMING TO
WASHINGTON AND THAT IT WAS
STORED IN THE OERT MAN’S-- THE O
MAN’S BACKPACK AND SPRAYED WHAT
THEY SAID IS AN UNKNOWN
SUBSTANCE.
IF IT WAS, IN FACT, BEAR SPRAY,
IT WOULD EXPLAIN WHY THE
OFFICERS REACTED LIKE THEY DID,
BECAUSE BEAR SPRAY IS NOT UNLIKE
MACE, NOT INTENDED TO BE USED ON
HUMANS, AND IT WOULD EXPLAIN THE
REACTION.
THAT’S THE MAIN CHARGE, THOUGH,
ASSAULTING BRIAN SICKNICK.
HE WASHED HIS EYES OUT WITH
WATER, WAS OFF LINES FOR A
WHILE, AND THEN WITHIN 24 HOURS
OF THE CAPITOL RIOTS, HE WAS
TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL AND DIED
HOURS LATER.
BUT THERE IS NO HUGE CONNECTION
BETWEEN THE SPRAY AND THE
OFFICER’S DEATH.
>> IF THEY DID MAKE THAT
CONNECTION, WOULD THAT MEAN
MURDER CHARGES FOR ONE OR BOTH
OF THESE MEN?
>> IT CERTAINLY COULD.
THE MAN WHO SUPERVISED THESE
MEETINGS EXPLICITLY SAID THAT
LAST WEEK, THAT IF THEY
DETERMINED THAT WAS THE CAUSE OF
DEATH, THEN THEY WOULD LIKELY
FILE MURDER CHARGES, YES.
>> THEN WHAT ABOUT THE NEWS FROM
THE COURT FILING THAT A MEMBER
OF THE OATH KEEPERS WAS IN TOUCH
WITH SOME EXTREMIST GROUPS.
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THAT?
>> THIS WAS THE FIRST SUGGESTION
BY MEMBERS THAT EXTREMIST GROUPS
WERE IN TOUCH WITH EACH OTHER
BEFORE THEY GOT TO WASHINGTON.
THE PRE-TRIAL RELEASE OF A MAN
NAMED KELLY MEGS FROM FLORIDA
SAID HE WAS A LEADER AND ONE OF
THE TEN OATH KEEPERS WHO PLAYED
A ROLE IN THE ASSAULT.
MEGS POSTED ON FACEBOOK THAT HE
REPRESENTED AN ALLIANCE WITH THE
PROUD BOIDS AND TPTSDLY -- PAID
FOR TWO HOTEL ROOMS IN
WASHINGTON, AND IN SEVERAL OF THESE LOPES SAJZ, IT APPEARS,
THESE LOPES SAJZ, IT APPEARS,
THAT THE OATH KEEPERS WOULD BE
PREPARED TO MEET WITH ANY
MEMBERS OF ANTIFA.
BUT THEN MEGS AND THE OTHERS
RUSHED INTO THE CAPITOL, AND
THIS APPLIES, RUSHED IN IN A
MILITARY STYLE FORMATION.
BUT IT DOESN’T SAY THEY WERE
PLANNING TO ATTACK THE CAPITOL
IN DECEMBER.
THAT’S STILL A QUESTION THAT
THIS INVESTIGATION HAS YET TO
ANSWER. WHOSE IDEA WAS IT TO ACTUALLY
WHOSE IDEA WAS IT TO ACTUALLY