US Capitol officer unlikely to face charges after shooting and killing war veteran Ashli Babbitt
Tuesday, 02 February 2021
The Capitol police officer who shot a woman attempting to breach the speaker’s lobby during the Capitol Hill riot is reportedly not likely to face charges after a preliminary decision by investigators in the case.
The officer, who has not been named, had been placed on leave after the Jan. 6 riot while an investigation took place into whether rioter Ashli Babbitt’s civil rights were violated, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Babbitt, a 35-year-old Air Force veteran and Qanon supporter, was climbing through a window that had been shattered by protesters when she was killed.
The Justice Department civil rights investigation into the shooting was a routine procedure following the use of deadly force by a police officer in Washington D.C.
The investigators have made an initial determination not to file charges. Justice Department officials need to make a final determination, the Journal said.
During the breach of the Capitol, hundreds of rioters forced their way into the building and congressional offices.
Babbitt and others reached the door to the speaker’s lobby and bashed the windows with sticks and helmets attempting to reach the members of Congress inside.
Dozens of rioters were ready to storm into the lobby and wreak havoc.
“That’s where he drew the line in the sand,” a fellow Capitol Police officer told the paper about the shooting.
More than 100 rioters have been arrested in connection to the breach.