The police officer who shot Ashli Babbitt will not face disciplinary action.
The U.S. Capitol Police released a statement after its Office of Professional Responsibility “determined the officer’s conduct was lawful and within Department policy, which says an officer may use deadly force only when the officer reasonably believes that action is in the defense of human life, including the officer’s own life, or in the defense of any person in immediate danger of serious physical injury.”
Out of concern for the officer’s safety, they will not release his name.
“The announcement comes roughly four months after the Department of Justice announced federal prosecutors would not seek charges against the officer for the killing,” per CNN.
Babbitt was a 35-year-old Air Force Veteran and Trump supporter from California. She was a decorated security forces controller who served multiple Middle East tours from 2004 to 2016, notes NBC News. She attended the “Stop the Steal” rally and was observed on video among the crowd attempting to enter the capital on January 6.
“The video shows Babbitt was the first rioter to try to climb through a broken window, at which point a Capitol Police officer behind the barricaded doors fired a single shot,” reports KHOU.
Babbitt was shot in the shoulder and died at Washington Hospital Center shortly thereafter.
Her death prompted much outrage among Republican figures. A one-sentence post on President Trump’s blog on July 1 asked “Who shot Ashli Babbitt?” The President has spoken of her at subsequent rallies and online.
The unnamed officer’s attorney, Mark Schamel, said in a statement, “This was an absolutely justified use of force, and the nation owes the lieutenant a tremendous debt of gratitude. His willingness to remain steadfast in the face of hundreds of violent, extremist, would-be insurrectionists intent on thwarting Congress from performing its Constitutional duty was the type of heroism and commitment that the Lieutenant has demonstrated in his almost three decades of law enforcement service.”
The Justice Department found in April that there were no grounds on which to charge the officer for her shooting death. Her husband is currently suing to learn the officer’s name.
