In every case where the police fired, I always recommend waiting for the facts.
Even if you think you know from direct witness statements or videos, it’s always good to know all the facts so that you can properly assess the shooting.
That is assuming you can get the facts.
When Ashli was shot and killed during the Capitol riots, we missed some very important facts. Perhaps the most important thing is who shot her.
On Thursday, after President Donald Trump’s announcement, the question became even bigger. Simply ask: Who shot Ashley Babbitt?
Trump: “Who shot Ashley Babbitt?” pic.twitter.com/8oWvUmkb6M
-Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) July 1, 2021
The reason we don’t know is the Congress Police Not subject to FOIA requirements They already Declined to be named. In any other similar situation, we already have this name. Now, as we mentioned before, there is a lot of speculation about who it might be. However, in the final analysis, the Congressional Police are not transparent about this.
We should be told that we should be able to obtain more facts than we have so far. Unfortunately, since the facts are not easier to emerge, we can only ask questions and try to piece together the video to get the answer.
There are some key issues here. When the police officer was fired, where was the lawmaker? In addition, the police officer who fired must know that there are policemen on the other side of the door, and anyone other than Babbitt, but he basically fired at the crowded area. A few minutes before the shooting, three police officers who had been standing opposite the door blocking the entrance to the chamber suddenly left the door.
At this moment, the mobs stopped at the door decided to try to break in. The police officers left without restraining them. People who look like congressional workers still exist. At that time, Babbitt was shot and he tried to climb into the House of Representatives room through the window on the door because more tactical police had just walked up the stairs.
I talk more about the sequence of events, because the video shows something important: it seems that the legislator is leaving.
This is a video from the New York Times describing their departure.
We found that delays in ensuring the safety of Congress could result in loss of life.
Members of the House of Representatives resumed their work before escaping-which means that when the mob arrives in the corridor near the conference hall, they will be seen by the mob. Ashli Babbitt, the mob who tried to approach them, was shot dead. pic.twitter.com/zkVlo3vbvr
-The New York Times (@nytimes) June 30, 2021
This is a more complete WaPo video showing the complete sequence of events. At this point, the mob said that the legislator is leaving.
You hear some protesters say to the police blocking the door that they don’t want to hurt the legislators, they just want to get in. None of the people at the scene attacked the policeman blocking the door, although there was a bit of collision and yelling. You will hear John Sullivan and others yelling “guns” when they see the officer’s gun. But everything is so loud that Babbitt may not have heard it.
You can clearly see in the video below that the corridor where the police officer is located is empty except for the police officer and three other police officers. The legislators are gone; if that was their departure in an earlier video, as the New York Times said, they were no longer there by the time the shooting occurred.
This may also explain why the three officers standing across the door suddenly left the door. Did they leave the door, and once they were told that the legislator was not there, they no longer needed to be there? Although the police have left, congressional staff and other protesters, as well as about four tactically equipped police officers who have just walked up the stairs, are still there.
Warning: very vivid.
I think #justice in order to #Ashley Babbitt pic.twitter.com/BMC1GEigCK
— Xo_sp (@xosp6) July 1, 2021
This is another sad observation. If the shooting officer waited a few more seconds, the police officer in tactical gear who had just walked up the stairs would most likely stand opposite the door and/or would take the mob out, as they did after the shooting, and let people Back down.
However, for a long time, we have not only needed answers to Trump’s questions, but also a broader response to the facts surrounding the shooting. Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi (Nancy Pelosi) is to set up a “special committee”, but how about some basic questions?