National Security

Lester Holt to interview Capitol Police officer who shot Ashli Babbitt

NBC News’s Lester Holt will interview the Capitol Police officer who shot Ashli Babbitt during the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, the network announced.

The interview, set to air Thursday, will be the first time the officer publicly reveals his identity since the events of that day. It will also come days after Capitol Police formally exonerated the officer after an internal review found that the officer’s actions were justified.

Babbitt, 35, was one of five people who died as a result of the riot which saw supporters of former President Trump storm the Capitol as Congress prepared to certify the Electoral College results for the 2020 election.

Babbitt was shot as she tried to enter the Speaker’s Lobby just off the House floor. A group of people had slammed through a window in the gallery, which Babbitt was trying to climb through.

The officer fired one shot, hitting Babbitt in the left shoulder.

Capitol Police said Monday that the officer’s conduct was lawful and within the department’s policy to use deadly force “only when the officer reasonably believes that action is in the defense of human life, including the officer’s own life, or in the defense of any person in immediate danger of serious physical injury.”

Federal prosecutors in Washington, D.C., also declined to bring charges against the officer, finding that there was no evidence to establish that his actions were unlawful. Babbitt’s family has filed a lawsuit seeking records on the officer who shot her.

NBC said in a statement that the officer will discuss his exoneration, as well as “his perspective on the events of that day, including the aftermath of the deadly insurrection and the threats he has received.”

The interview will air Thursday at 6:30 p.m. EDT on “NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt.” Additional portions will air on MNSBC and the “Today” show.

Tags Donald Trump

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