Three days after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, Capitol Police Officer Howie Liebengood’s brother and sister still hadn’t spoken to him. They knew he had survived physically unharmed but feared the psychological toll the attack had taken.
On the evening of January 9, Howie called his younger brother, John, while driving home from Capitol Hill. John patched in their sister, Anne, and together they asked how he was holding up.
“It’s been exhausting,” Howie said. The past three days had meant shifts of more than 14 hours and little sleep. Then he dropped the news they had been hoping for:
“I’m done. I’m quitting.”
A Decision That Brought Relief
After 15 years on the force, Howie, 51, had decided to retire — but only after the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden. He didn’t want to burden his fellow officers, who were also depleted after the crisis.
For John and Anne, this was welcome news. They had long believed his job was harming his health. Anne even told her teenage sons in relief: “He’s going to quit. He’s OK.”
A Tragic Night
Later that evening, Howie returned home to northern Virginia. Over dinner, he told his wife, Dr. Serena Liebengood, about his plan to leave the department and possibly move to Indiana.
Before heading to bed, Serena asked if he had thoughts of harming himself. After hesitating, he admitted he had briefly considered it earlier but said he was fine.
At around 10:45 p.m., Serena heard a loud noise upstairs. When she went to check, she found Howie had taken his own life using his service weapon.
Howie became the second Capitol Police officer to die after the riot — and the first of four officers who would die by suicide in the days and months that followed.
Public Tributes and Political Noise
In the weeks after his death, tributes poured in. Senate staffers built a memorial by the Russell Senate Office Building entrance he had guarded for years. In 2022, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi awarded him the Congressional Gold Medal, and in 2023, President Joe Biden presented the Presidential Citizens Medal.
Yet political battles over Jan. 6 clouded the circumstances of his passing. Some voices downplayed the violence, while others grouped all deaths — police and rioters — together, obscuring Howie’s story.
A Family’s Mission for Change
As the fourth anniversary of Jan. 6 approaches, Howie’s family — Serena, John, and Anne — is sharing their detailed account for the first time. They believe his struggles were tied to both the toxic political climate and the challenges law enforcement officers face daily.
Determined to honor his memory, they worked with Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) to improve mental health support for officers. Their advocacy led to the creation of a Capitol Police wellness center and to a landmark recognition: Howie became the first law enforcement officer to have a suicide ruled a line-of-duty death by the U.S. Department of Justice.
