Where is Capitol cop who shot Ashli Babbitt? Here's why investigators say officer should NOT be charged
An initial investigation into the killing of Ashli Babbit has revealed new details related to the case. The Capitol Police officer, who shot and killed Air Force veteran Babbitt on January 6, 2021, should not be prosecuted, an initial police investigation has concluded.
Babbitt, 35, was shot dead as she tried to climb through a broken window to get into congressional chambers, after breaking into the federal building with a mob of pro-Trump rioters. On Monday, February 1, sources told The Wall Street Journal that the unnamed Capitol lieutenant had been cleared by an internal investigation. He had been placed on leave soon after the riot while Babbitt’s death was being investigated.
The officer who fired the deadly shot at her told investigators that there was utter confusion at the time, and he feared the rioters were about to access the chamber when he pulled the trigger. Many videos of the shooting posted on social media showed Babbitt, who appears to be wearing a Trump flag as a cape, falling from a smashed-out window after being shot by the officer on the other side of a set of double doors.
Babbitt was one of five people who lost their lives at the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. A Capitol police officer was overpowered and beaten by rioters. A Georgia woman appeared to have been killed after she was crushed by fellow rioters. One man had a stroke, and another a heart attack. That afternoon both the House and the Senate were in session, with hundreds of lawmakers debating challenges to the certification of the Electoral College vote when the mob fought its way past lines of Capitol police officers outside and forced their way into the building. Some said they merely wanted to halt the proceedings while others carried weapons, climbing gear and zip ties that could be used as restraints.
Babbitt, who had served 14 years in the Air Force, and was a supporter of former president Donald Trump. Her social media feed was filled with QAnon conspiracy theories.
As soon as Babbit and the crowd moved in, they got a clear view of the lieutenant on the other side, who was raising his .40-caliber Glock handgun. “There’s a gun!” “He’s got a gun!” people shouted. As Babbitt was hoisted up, the lieutenant fired a single shot. She fell backward, striking the hard floor. There was no evidence that she was armed.