The article you refer to exaggerates its first claim so disingenuously that I won’t bother to read the rest. It claims:
> The New York Times on January 8 published an emotionally gut-wrenching but complete fiction that never had any evidence — that Officer Sicknick's skull was savagely bashed in with a fire extinguisher by a pro-Trump mob until he died
While the referenced (archived) NYT article says:
> At some point in the chaos [...] he was struck with a fire extinguisher
and
> He returned to his division office and collapsed,
There is no cause of death claimed by the NYT. No “bashing until he died” claimed.
For background, that at least one rioter (Sanford) threw a fire extinguisher and hit three cops in the head (two wearing helmets) is alleged by the FBI based video evidence[1].
They started this rumor, the rumor went around all the television stations on repeat for weeks, and then when it turned out this was based on nothing, that it was some kind of fabrication, the NYT doesn't do a front page retraction with a humble apology for stirring up the country.
Was the NYT article edited after the fact? That happens fairly often. I remember having to calm my gf down after she was so upset by the news that someone had their head bashed in with a fire extinguisher. It was definitely reported, and definitely false.
Here's the quote I see from articles alleging the NY Times reported and spread a false story: "Mr. Sicknick, 42, an officer for the Capitol Police, died on Thursday from brain injuries he sustained after Trump loyalists who overtook the complex struck him in the head with a fire extinguisher, according to two law enforcement officials."
As best as I can tell the fire extinguisher was a different event in which officers were struck by a thrown extinguisher. Sicknick did suffer brain injuries (a stroke). The medical examiner hasn't attributed fault to possible exposure to bear spray that some protestors might have used, so his stroke is determined to be from natural causes. I think we have to wait for the accused protestor's trials to determine finally whether they assaulted Sicknick.
> The New York Times on January 8 published an emotionally gut-wrenching but complete fiction that never had any evidence — that Officer Sicknick's skull was savagely bashed in with a fire extinguisher by a pro-Trump mob until he died
While the referenced (archived) NYT article says:
> At some point in the chaos [...] he was struck with a fire extinguisher
and
> He returned to his division office and collapsed,
There is no cause of death claimed by the NYT. No “bashing until he died” claimed.
For background, that at least one rioter (Sanford) threw a fire extinguisher and hit three cops in the head (two wearing helmets) is alleged by the FBI based video evidence[1].
[1] https://extremism.gwu.edu/sites/g/files/zaxdzs2191/f/Robert%...