Federal Prosecutor Opens Excessive Force Investigation Into the Death of Ashli Babbitt
Michael Sherwin, acting U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, said that his office has started a federal, excessive force investigation over the shooting and killing of former U.S. Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt in the Capitol on Jan. 6.
Sherwin confirmed the investigation with CBS News.
His civil rights section will lead the prosecution, which is being investigated by D.C. police and the FBI.
The Epoch Times hasn’t been able to independently verify the investigation.
The U.S. Attorney Office of the District of Columbia refused to comment on the reported investigation.
The FBI and The U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) didn’t respond to a request for comment.
#CapitolRiots NEW: US Attorney Michael Sherwin confirms @CBSNews his office has opened a formal, federal excessive force investigation related to the shooting death of Ashli Babbitt who was shot by US Capitol Police Wednesday within the Capitol building. Sherwin has assigned
— Catherine Herridge (@CBS_Herridge) January 9, 2021
On Jan. 6, Trump supporters marched on foot to the Capitol after President Donald Trump gave a speech near the White House. Trump thanked his supporters for being present and listed a series of voting irregularities that happened in different states, alleging there was widespread fraud. Rudy Giuliani, the president’s attorney, also gave a speech listing evidence for the alleged fraud.
Babbitt entered the Capitol building with a group of protesters, including left-wing activist John Sullivan.
A man in a widely circulated video of the shooting of U.S. Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt, 28-year-old Thomas Baranyi, later gave a recount of what happened.
A reporter from CBS affiliate WKRG interviewed him after he stormed the Capitol with protestors and Ashli Babbitt.
“We had stormed into the chambers inside and there was a young lady who rushed to the windows,” Baranyi said “A number of police and Secret Service were saying ‘get back, get down, get out of the way.’ She didn’t heed the call.”
He said that he tried to pull her back when she got fatally shot.
“And as we kind of raced up to grab people and pull them back, they shot her in the neck, and she fell back on me and started to say she was fine. It’s cool. And then she started moving weird and blood was coming out of her mouth and neck and nose,” Baranyi said.
“Just make sure people know, because this cannot stand anymore. This is wrong. They don’t represent anyone. Not Republican, Democrat, Independent, nobody. And now they’ll just, they’ll kill people,” Baranyi added.
Tony Mazziott, Babbitt’s grandfather, told ABC News’ “Good Morning America” that she was an “excellent patriot” and a “loving person.”
“She served time in the military and she’s passionate about everything, particularly Donald Trump for some reason,” he said. Family members said Babbitt served more than a decade in the Air Force.
