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Ashli Babbitt shooting: Unnamed Capitol cop exonerated in probe as Internet erupts

The Capitol cop who shot the MAGA supporter was formally exonerated following an internal investigation

The discussion around Ashli Babbitt's fatal shooting on January 6 at the Capitol Building refuses to die down. On August 20, the officer who shot the MAGA supporter was formally exonerated following an internal investigation according to a Capitol Police memo. The commander of the Capitol Police's Office of Personal Responsibility said, “no further action will be taken in this matter” after the officer was exonerated for use of force.

Earlier this month, the family of Babbitt who was shot in the Rotunda during the Insurrection by an officer who to date remains unnamed, sued the Capitol police for $10M for her wrongful death. The family alleged that the officer who killed Ashli gave her no verbal command or warning before pulling the trigger. She was among the thousands of Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol but was the only one to be killed by the cops. Babbitt's family claimed the video of the incident proves the plain-clothed officer who shot her did not give verbal command or warning and that the US Capitol Police was liable for her death. 

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The family's attorney Terry Roberts said, "It’s not debatable. There was no warning. I would call what he did an ambush. I don’t think he’s a good officer. I think he’s reckless." The officer's lawyer, Mark Schamel said, "It’s a false narrative that he issued no verbal commands or warnings. He was screaming, 'Stay back! Stay back! Don’t come in here!' He was acting within his training. Lethal force is appropriate if the situation puts you or others in fear of imminent bodily harm. There should be a training video on how he handled that situation. What he did was unbelievable heroism."

While Babbitt's death is viewed as justified by certain people, there's another section that believes the officer's name should be publicly revealed and should be tried in a court of law. "What a BULLSHIT whitewash CON JOB. The man who KILLED ASHLI BABBITT is not "exonerated"---he has not been held to account in the slightest. This BUM should Not be carrying a gun. PHONY INVESTIGATION. DO A REAL one," wrote an angry user on Twitter who believed Babbitt's killer needs to be punished. 

"Your own government considers YOU the terrorists now. That's why Ashli Babbitt's killer will walk free," another tweet read. "The internal probe exonerating the Capitol Police that murdered Ashli Babbitt in cold blood without warning violating police protocol = unjust judgment! She didn’t break the law for protesting unarmed in a public building. Demand for a just trial in court to be decided by a jury," another user tweeted demanding justice for Babbitt. "Want to know the killer of Ashli Babbitt? It's the democrats, for being out of control tyrants that act like Nazis at every chance have yet to be stopped. They caused the need of people like Ashli to rebel, and then shot her for not saying "heil Biden" All of them are murderers," another tweet read.