Capitol Police Officer Who Killed Ashli Babbitt Cleared After Internal Investigation

Capitol Police have officially cleared an officer who fatally shot Ashli Babbitt during the Capitol riot on Jan. 6 following an internal probe.

According to an internal memo, Capitol Police ended the investigation of the Capitol officer, whose name was not shown.

Babbitt, a Capitol rioter, was shot on her left shoulder as she attempted to enter the Speaker’s gallery inside the Capitol on Jan. 6.

In April, the Justice Department announced that the officer would not face criminal charges due to the “insufficient evidence to support a criminal prosecution.”

“In order to establish a violation of this statute, prosecutors must prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the officer acted willfully to deprive Ms. Babbitt of a right protected by the Constitution or other law, here the Fourth Amendment right not to be subjected to an unreasonable seizure,” the statement from the Justice Department back in April reads. “Prosecutors would have to prove not only that the officer used force that was constitutionally unreasonable, but that the officer did so ‘willfully,’ which the Supreme Court has interpreted to mean that the officer acted with a bad purpose to disregard the law.”

Despite being cleared by the Justice Department, some Republicans have been continuously demanded the police release the name of the officer who shot Babbitt, including former President Donald Trump.

Article by Dongyoon Shin