The Justice Department announced Wednesday that it will not pursue criminal charges against the U.S. Capitol Police officer who fatally shot Ashli Babbitt during the storming of the Capitol on January 6, NBC News reports.
According to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., authorities determined there was not enough evidence to support that the Capitol police officer violated civil rights laws in the shooting.
“The federal investigation revealed no evidence to establish that, at the time the officer fired a single shot at Ms. Babbitt, the officer did not reasonably believe that it was necessary to do so in self-defense or in defense of the Members of Congress and others evacuating the House Chamber,” the statement said.
Babbitt, a 35-year-old Air Force veteran from San Diego, was shot in the shoulder by a Capitol Police officer while trying to climb through a barricaded door near the House chamber. She was one of five people who died during the riots. The officer, who has not yet been identified, was placed on administrative leave shortly after the shooting.
The Justice Department said it has closed the investigation, which was based on video footage posted on social media, statements from the officer involved and other officers and witnesses to the events, physical evidence from the scene of the shooting, and the results of an autopsy.
“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 said.
