On Tuesday, disturbing video footage surfaced of the moment a US Capitol rioter hurled a fire extinguisher at a police officer during the chaotic siege at the federal building in Washington, D.C., on Jan 6, 2021.
The clip showed a group of officers tussling with a mob of Trump supporters as they try to storm past a barricade on the west side of the building, as previously reported. Moments later, one of the rioters is seen tossing a fire extinguisher at the cops, striking one of them on the head.
The officer was later identified as Brian Sicknick, 42, who died on Thursday due to a blow to the head from the fire extinguisher.
FBI Release Photo of Man
The US Capitol riot has triggered a massive manhunt by federal and state authorities, as they attempt to track down every person involved in the violence.
After the video footage went viral, local CBS-affiliated news station WUSA9 reported that authorities had released images of the man wanted for the killing of the Capitol Police officer during the pro-Trump riots and was seeking the public's help in identifying the man.
Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy posted the photo on Twitter saying the man was wanted for questioning in connection with Sicknick's death. The picture shows a bearded man wearing a grey backpack and a skull cap with the words "CFD" plastered across it.
Social Media Users Identify 'Extinguisher Man'
Internet sleuths immediately got to work and started sharing slow-motion footage and images of the man in question using the hashtag #ExtinguisherMan in an attempt to identify the man.
Some users found that the "CFD" lettering on the man's headgear stood for Chicago Fire Department and are convinced that the man in the video is a retired CFD fireman named David Quintavalle after digging up an old YouTube video. Co-incidentally Quintavalle bears a striking resemblance to the "extinguisher man."
Although is has not yet been confirmed that Quintavalle is, in fact, the man in the video but users claim they have reported the information to the FBI, who will verify the same and act on it, if necessary.
Senator Cassidy later walked back his initial statement, saying, "Capitol Police has informed me this individual is a person of interest, but for a separate incident that occurred at the Capitol on Jan. 6th."
UPDATE:
Quintavelle Says He Was Grocery Shopping in Chicago
In the wake of the accusations of being a cop-killer, Quintavalle told Patch that he was not in Washington, D.C., last week and was grocery shopping and celebrating his wife's birthday with their son, who is a Chicago police officer on the day rioters stormed the Capitol. He added that he had receipts to prove his whereabouts along with other evidence that he presented to the FBI to clear his name
