The officer who shot Ashli ​​Babbitt was cleared, opposed to Trump

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During the insurrectionist attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, a group of violent pro-Trump rioters entered the building and reached a door leading to a hallway hall. That hallway was an escape route for lawmakers who saw attackers through glass windows.

When the rioters broke those windows, one of the insurgents, Ashli ​​Babbitt, tried to break through to enter the hallway where members of Congress were being evacuated, ignoring the pleas of the enforcer. law. A police officer fired a single shot, and the rioter eventually died at a local hospital.

A very conservative Republican congressman, Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, was a witness and admitted that the officer “did what he was supposed to do” and “had no choice.”

Last week, NBC News obtained a memo showing that the Capitol Police officer who fired the opening had been formally released after an internal investigation. Yesterday, as the New York Times reported, Capitol Police made their findings official.

U.S. Capitol Police announced Monday that they have clarified a lieutenant seriously shot a rioter inside the Capitol in the Jan. 6 attack, after an extensive investigation learned he acted lawfully and potentially saved the legislators and aides from serious injury or death. The department’s decision to formally close the case followed the Justice Department’s decision in April that the charges against the officer had not been awarded.

“The actions of the officer in this case could potentially have saved members and staff from serious injury and possible death from a large crowd of rioters who forced their way into the U.S. Capitol and the Chamber chamber where the members and staff are steps away, ”the Capitol told police yesterday.

But by the end of this part of the story on Jan. 6, it’s worth appreciating Donald Trump’s role in making the tragedy worse – not just by encouraging the rebels to go to DC, and not just by motivating of violence, but of trying to make the officer a villain in this case.

For example, in June, the public asked the officer to identify, adding that he saw Babbitt as an ally who was on his “side.”

Last month, the Republican went further, saying there was “no reason” for the official to shoot the mobster. A few days later, Trump asked Fox Business, “Who was the person who shot an innocent, wonderful, incredible woman?”

Earlier this month, the former president went so far as to say that Babbitt “was killed at the hands of someone who shouldn’t have pulled the trigger.” The Republican added, “We know who he is …. There must be justice!”

Despite all the political posting about Trump supporting law enforcement and championing “law and order,” months after the attack he helped inspire, the former president hopes his followers will believe that a rioter is an “innocent” martyr, while the official who protects members of Congress from insurrectionist violence commits “murder.”

This is a difficult view to defend. As a study in the Washington Post put it recently, “This, at its heart, is Trump’s view of justice. Those on his side are not held accountable for their actions. However, those on the other side are , most were treated more harshly than the law allows. “

If the former president starts criticizing the U.S. Capitol Police, at least we’ll know why.

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