Last Updated on February 17, 2022
Investigators looking into the fatal shooting of Ashli Babbitt by a Capitol Police officer have determined that the officer should not face charges.
Sources familiar with the situation have told the Wall Street Journal that the investigators behind a preliminary look into Ashli Babbitt’s killing by the officer during the Capitol Hill protests on January 6th have recommended that the man not face any charges for her death.
Babbitt, a 35 year-old veteran of the US Air Force who had served four tours, was shot and killed by the officer when she entered the Capitol with hundreds of others. Her husband described her as a “strong supporter of President Trump, and a great patriot to all who knew her.”
An eyewitness told National File that Babbitt, who was unarmed, had begun to climb up onto a windowsill near the Senate chambers, and was then shot:
“As she had both feet in the windowsill, her hands were on the sides of the window, a man inside, not a uniform, he had a suit on, fired one shot, hitting her up in this region somewhere [indicates to neck]. She fell out of the window. The police that were there would not let me assist. I am trained in emergency medical services. They would not let me assist… They pushed me out of the way, and I stood there and I watched this young woman die.”
The Capitol Police officer who was responsible for her execution-style killing was placed on leave pending the investigation, which also looked into whether Babbitt’s civil rights had been violated by the officer. The investigation is a “routine procedure” that follows the use of deadly force by a police officer in Washington DC, the Justice Department noted in their initial announcement.
Officials for the Justice Department still need to make their final determination on the case, the report clarified. The Department has yet to comment on the story.
