The U.S. Capitol Police officer who fatally shot protester Ashli Babbitt during the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol reportedly will reveal his identity Thursday in an interview with NBC News anchor Lester Holt.
The officer will talk about the riot and the police agency’s decision this week to clear him of any wrongdoing for shooting Babbitt outside the House chamber, according to NBC.
“Speaking out and revealing his identity publicly for the first time, 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.
The interview is scheduled to air at 6:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. CT.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Capitol Police told The Washington Times that the agency “is aware of the NBC story.”
“The department is not facilitating any interviews with our officers this week,” the spokesperson said in an email Thursday. “Safety is our number one priority.”
Babbitt was among hundreds of people who entered the Capitol on Jan. 6 in an attempt to block Congress’ certification of the 2020 presidential election results.
The Department of Justice determined earlier this year that the officer did not act unreasonably when he shot Babbitt in the shoulder as she tried to crawl through a broken glass window into the House chamber.
Babbitt, a 35-year-old Air Force veteran and Trump supporter, was the only person fatally shot during the riot. Four others died of medical conditions such as strokes and heart attacks.
Both the DOJ and Capitol Police repeatedly have refused to identify the officer.
Babbitt’s family filed a lawsuit in June against the District of Columbia to obtain the identity of the officer, video footage of the shooting and documents from the Metropolitan Police Department’s investigation of the incident.
• Alex Swoyer contributed to this report.
• Emily Zantow can be reached at ezantow@washingtontimes.com.
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