The Capitol Police officer who shot Ashli Babbitt at the Jan. 6 insurrection was formally exonerated following an internal probe into the matter, according to a memo NBC News obtained.
Babbitt was fatally shot as she tried to enter the U.S. Capitol alongside other Trump supporters, via a door that led to where members of Congress were. The exoneration of the officer—who was not named by the department—marks the end of the final investigation after the Justice Department didn’t present charges in April.
As the officer was exonerated for use of force, the memo from the Capitol Police’s Office of Personal Responsibility read that “no further action will be taken in this matter.”
Video from the riot shows 35-year-old Babbitt, who was an Air Force veteran, attempt to enter the building. In April, the Justice Department said it didn’t find evidence that the officer believed shooting Babbitt violated federal laws.
“Officials examined 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,” and “based on that investigation, officials determined that there is insufficient evidence to support a criminal prosecution,” the statement read.
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