Capitol anguish deepens with police death

A police officer has died from injuries sustained as US President Donald Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol, a violent siege that is forcing hard questions about the defeated president's remaining days in office and the ability of the Capitol Police to secure the area.

The US Capitol Police said in a statement that Brian D. Sicknick was injured "while physically engaging with protesters" during the Wednesday riot. He is the fifth person to die because of the melee.

The rampage that has shocked the world and left the country on edge forced the resignations of three top Capitol security officials over the failure to stop the breach. It led lawmakers to demand a review of operations and an FBI briefing over what they called a "terrorist attack". And it is prompting a broader reckoning over the Republican president's tenure in office and what comes next for a torn nation.

Protesters were urged by Trump during a rally near the White House earlier on Wednesday to head to Capitol Hill, where lawmakers were scheduled to confirm Democrat Joe Biden's presidential victory. The mobs swiftly broke through police barriers, smashed windows and paraded through the halls, sending lawmakers into hiding.

Of the five who have died as a result of the siege, one protester, a white woman, was shot by Capitol Police, and there were dozens of arrests. Three other people died after "medical emergencies" related to the breach.

Despite Trump's claims of voter fraud, election officials and his own former attorney general have said there were no problems on a scale that would change the outcome. All the states have certified their results as fair and accurate, by Republican and Democratic officials alike.

Senator Ben Sasse said news of Sicknick's death was "gut-wrenching".

The police officer had returned to his division office after the incident and collapsed, the statement said. He was taken to a hospital where he died on Thursday.

Two House of Representatives Democrats on committees overseeing the Capitol police budgets said those responsible need to be held to answer for the "senseless" death.

"We must ensure that the mob who attacked the People's House and those who instigated them are held fully accountable," representatives Rosa DeLauro and Tim Ryan said in a statement.

Feeling of stalemate

With tensions high, the Capitol shuttered and lawmakers not scheduled to return until the inauguration on Jan 20, an uneasy feeling of stalemate settled over a main seat of national power as Trump remained holed up at the White House.

US Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund, under pressure from congressional leaders, was forced to resign. Paul Irving, the longtime sergeant-at-arms of the House, also resigned.

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser called the police response "a failure".

Lawmakers from both parties pledged to investigate whether a lack of preparedness allowed a mob to occupy and vandalize the building. The Pentagon and Justice Department had been rebuffed when they offered assistance.

The protesters ransacked the place, taking over the House area and Senate chamber and waving Trump banners, US and Confederate flags. Outside, they scaled the walls and balconies.

Representative Val Demings, a former police chief, said it was "painfully obvious" that Capitol police "were not prepared".

Trump supporters across the country on Wednesday also gathered at state capitols, prompting the mobilizing of law enforcement.

Rallies were reported in Idaho, Oregon, Georgia, Michigan and California. While police reported some skirmishes, most gatherings were peaceful.

Some legislatures closed public access to their capitols as a precaution. That happened in Georgia on Wednesday afternoon when armed protesters gathered outside.

In Salem, Oregon, right-wing "Proud Boys" clashed with left-wing protesters using smoke bombs and a rapid-fire paint ball rifle.

State police declared an "unlawful assembly". Police there have been dealing with repeated clashes between right-and left-wing protesters in recent weeks.

Trump supporters also burned an effigy of Oregon Governor Kate Brown outside the Capitol in Salem.

Agencies, Xinhua and Ai Heping in New York contributed to this story.