No charges for officer in Capitol riot shooting: prosecutors
By Ben Feuerherd – April 14, 2021
The US Capitol Police officer who shot and killed rioter Ashli Babbitt on Jan. 6 will not face charges for her death — and an investigation into the shooting has been closed, the Department of Justice said Wednesday.
In a news release, the DOJ said the unidentified officer who fired a single shot at Babbitt near the Speaker’s Lobby inside the Capitol did so in self-defense and to protect members of Congress.
Investigators also determined Babbitt’s civil rights were not violated in the shooting, according to the statement.
“Acknowledging the tragic loss of life and offering condolences to Ms. Babbitt’s family, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and U.S. Department of Justice have therefore closed the investigation into this matter,” the statement added.
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In an interview with a local television station, fellow rioter Christopher Grider, who was beside Babbitt when she was killed, described the chaotic scene just after she was shot.
Grider said the mob of Trump supporters were stunned when Babbitt was shot by the police officer.
“They were shocked as everyone else was when the people on the other side of the door, from 20 feet away, shot her in the chest,” he said in the interview.
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PA Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 38 