Howard C. Liebengood

Private First Class (PFC) Howard “Howie” Liebengood was a 51-year-old, 15-year veteran of the United States Capitol Police (USCP) and protected the Capitol against assault on January 6, 2021. After suffering through that traumatic event, he worked nearly round the clock for days with minimal sleep between shifts and died by suicide three days later. 

A Purdue University graduate, with a Master’s degree in sports management from the University of Memphis, PFC Liebengood was a former professional race car driver and champion. Drawing parallels between racing and life, he volunteered countless hours speaking to public school children about the importance of following rules and making good decisions through his philanthropic organization, “Racing to Live by the Rules”.   After retiring from racing, he joined the U.S. Capitol Police Senate Division in 2005, following in the legacy of his late father and former U.S. Senate Sergeant-at-Arms, Howard S. Liebengood.

During PFC Liebengood’s tenure at USCP, he served as a representative for the USCP Senate Division Community Outreach Program. In this capacity, he continued community outreach to local public schools. He also conducted safety training classes for Senate staffers which were widely attended and praised. Liebengood received many commendations for outstanding service throughout his career.

PFC Liebengood’s unwavering devotion to his duty and service as USCP officer did not go unnoticed.  In 2021, USCP’s health and wellness program was renamed The Howard C. (“Howie”) Liebengood Wellness Center by Congress in honor of his service and sacrifice.

The circumstances of PFC Liebengood’s passing in the aftermath of January 6, 2021, contributed to a movement to shift the understanding of line-of-duty deaths in law enforcement. His death has since been recognized as line-of-duty by the U.S. Department of Justice and USCP. The U.S. Department of Labor also recognized his death as work related.

In 2022, PFC Liebengood was posthumously awarded the Defenders of Democracy Award by the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics and the Congressional Gold Medal. He was also honored with the Presidential Citizens Medal, the second-highest civilian award in the United States, in 2023.