The federal government said on Wednesday it has shut down its investigation into the shooting death of 35-year-old Ashli Babbitt, a U.S. …
The federal government said on Wednesday it has shut down its investigation into the shooting death of 35-year-old Ashli Babbitt, a U.S. military veteran who was among hundreds protesting at the U.S. Capitol on Jan.6. Without charges. And without even identifying who shot her. The Department of Justice issued a statement that did reveal it will « not pursue criminal charges against the U.S. Capitol Police officer. » « The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia’s Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section and the Civil Rights Division, with the Metropolitan Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division (IAD), conducted a thorough investigation of Ms. Babbitt’s shooting » the statement said. Investigators looked at video footage, reviewed statements from the officer involved and other officers and witnesses, looked at physical evidence and more. « Officials determined that there is insufficient evidence to support a criminal prosecution, » the DOJ said. The statement explained that, essentially, prosecutors did not feel they could prove the officer used unreasonable force, and did so willfully. The DOJ said the Supreme Court has decided that means prosecutors would have had to prove « that the officer acted with a bad purpose to disregard the law. As this requirement has been interpreted by the courts, evidence that an officer act out of fear, mistake, panic, misperception, negligence, or even poor judgment cannot establish the high level of intent required.
