Cop Who Shot Ashli Babbitt Is Going Public

He will reveal identity in NBC interview
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 25, 2021 2:57 PM CDT
Cop Who Shot Ashli Babbitt Is Going Public
In this Jan. 6, 2021 photo, Trump supporters try to break through a police barrier at the Capitol.   (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

Now that he has been officially cleared by the Capitol Police, the officer who shot Ashli Babbitt during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot wants the public to hear his side of the story. The officer, who has been denounced by Trump supporters and the former president himself, will reveal his identity in an interview with NBC News' Lester Holt at 6pm Eastern on Thursday, reports CNBC. "The officer will share his perspective on the events of that day, including the aftermath of the deadly insurrection and the threats he has received," NBC said. He will also discuss his exoneration by the Capitol force's internal review.

The officer—who shot the 35-year-old Babbitt as she tried to climb through a broken part of a door to an area leading to the House chamber—was also cleared of wrongdoing by federal prosecutors. In a Fox interview last month, Trump described Babbitt as an "innocent, wonderful, incredible woman." He also described the events of Jan. 6, in which around 150 officers were injured, as "a lovefest between the Capitol Police and the people who walked down to the Capitol" and claimed to have heard that the officer was part of a high-ranking Democrat's security detail, per Vox.

The officer's lawyer, Mark Schamel, said Monday that exonerating the officer was "the only correct conclusion." "The bravery shown by the Lieutenant in organizing and coordinating the defense of the House and its members and staff was nothing short of heroic," Schamel said in a statement, per NBC. "The Lieutenant's conduct saved lives and helped to end the violent insurrection." He also said his client had been forced from his home by "many credible death threats." (More Ashli Babbitt stories.)

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