The U.S. Capitol Police officer who shot and killed protester Ashli Babbitt in the Jan. 6 riot has been exonerated by an internal investigation.
A department memo obtained by NBC News said that “no further action will be taken in this matter” after finding the officer was justified in using deadly force.
Babbitt was a 12-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force from San Diego and an avid supporter of former President Donald Trump, according to her family.
The 35-year-old Babbitt was shot by the officer as she tried to climb through a broken window in a door breached by rioters outside the “Speaker’s Lobby” near the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives. She was shot in the shoulder and taken to a hospital where she later died.
Video of the shooting quickly went viral on social media.
The officer, who remained unidentified, had been placed on administrative leave “and their police powers suspended” during the investigation.
The U.S. Department of Justice had announced in April that the officer would not face any charges in the death of Babbitt.
In June, Babbitt’s family filed a lawsuit to force the government to reveal the identity of the officer who killed her. They said that they also intended to sue for a violation of Babbitt’s constitutional rights and were going to demand more than $10 million dollars.
Republican Rep. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma defended the actions of the officer in an interview with ABC News.
“He didn’t have a choice at that time, the mob was gonna come through the door, there was a lot of members and staff that were in danger at the time,” Mullin said.
Also on Friday, the officials told Reuters that the FBI had found no evidence that the riot at the Capitol had been “centrally coordinated by far-wing groups or prominent supporters of then-President Donald Trump. At least 570 people have been arrested for taking part in the riot.
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No charges in death of Ashli Babbitt
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