In the aftermath of the January 6 storming of the US Capitol by supporters of then-US President Donald Trump, the US Capitol Police investigated 35 officers’ actions…
The US Capitol Police (USCP) Office of Professional Responsibility announced Monday that an officer who shot a woman outside the House chamber during the January 6 insurrection would face no internal discipline for the incident. The Monday statement says the review found the officer’s action “lawful and within Department policy,” noting those policies state that “an officer may use deadly force only when the officer reasonably believes that action is in the defense of human life, including the officer’s own life, or in the defense of any person in immediate danger of serious physical injury.” The US Department of Justice had previously cleared the officer of criminal wrongdoing in April, claiming prosecutors would be unable to prove the officer had acted “willfully” to violate the law or had deprived Babbitt of a constitutionally protected right. Four others in addition to Babbit, were also killed during the attack on the Capitol, including a USCP officer.
