Back in the Big Apple! Donald arrives at Trump Tower on July 4 a day after he repeated his demand for the officer who shot Ashli Babbitt to be identified
Donald Trump was pictured arriving back at Trump Tower in New York City on Sunday just a day after he demanded to know which Capitol police officer shot and killed his supporter Ashli Babbitt during the January 6 riot.
Trump wore a white MAGA hat as he waved to his supporters while arriving in the Big Apple on Sunday after the former president had spoken to thousands of his supporters on Saturday evening at the Sarasota Fairgrounds in Florida.
'By the way, who shot Ashli Babbitt? Who shot Ashli Babbitt? Who? Who shot Ashli Babbitt ? We all saw the hand. We saw the gun,' Trump said during the rally.
Babbitt, 36, was shot and killed on January 6 during the deadly riots after she repeatedly ignored warnings by law enforcement to stop while she tried to storm the Capitol through a broken window.
Donald Trump arrives on his own to Trump Tower in New York City for July 4th
Trump arrived wearing a Make America Great Again cap as his Secret Service Detail motorcade arrived through the city
His wife, former First Lady Melania Trump, and his son Barron were absent on his arrival
His arrival in NYC came just a day after he demanded to know which Capitol police officer shot and killed his supporter Ashli Babbitt during the January 6 riot
Trump wore a white MAGA hat as he waved to his supporters while arriving in the Big Apple on Sunday
Donald Trump is pictured in his vehicle as he arrives to Trump Tower in New York City for July 4th
Donald Trump arrived in NYC a day after he had spoken to thousands of his supporters on Saturday evening at the Sarasota Fairgrounds in Florida
Donald Trump arrives on his own to Trump Tower in New York City for July 4th
The identity of the police officers has not been revealed for their protection, as experts worry the officer would be under 'extreme danger' from Trump's followers if the name is revealed, Forbes noted.
Her family has also filed a $10million lawsuit against the officer and the Capitol Police and a separate case demanding the name is released.
A military veteran of 14 years, Babbitt had reportedly wore a Trump flag wrapped around her neck like a cape while Trump's supporters attempted to stop the certification of electoral college votes in the 2020 presidential election.
Babbitt, a believer of QAnon conspiracy theories, was one of five people who died as the violent rioters tried to breach the House chamber. The Justice Department has determined the shooting was an act of 'self-defense.'
The day before her death, she retweeted a post warning of a violent uprising that would lead to a second inauguration for Trump, The New York Times reported.
'Nothing will stop us. They can try and try and try but the storm is here and it is descending upon DC in less than 24 hours …. dark to light!' she tweeted.
However, Trump has previously joined conservatives in calling for the identity of the cop who shot Babbitt who some have hailed as a martyr for the one-term president's causes.
In a statement on Thursday, Trump said: 'Who shot Ashli Babbitt?'
Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz, two of Trump's most enthusiastic supporters, have also been among those called for the identity of the police officer.
One Republican, Rep. Paul Gosar has even alarmingly suggested without evidence that Babbitt was 'executed' by an officer 'lying in wait.'
The Justice Department announced on April 14 that it had closed the investigation into her death.
'The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia and the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice will not pursue criminal charges against the U.S. Capitol Police officer involved,' the announcement reads.
Officials said they had conducted a 'thorough investigation' including video footage posted on social media, statements from the officer who shot her and other officers and witnesses - as well as physical evidence from the scene and her autopsy.
'Based on that investigation, officials determined that there is insufficient evidence to support a criminal prosecution,' the statement reads.
Trump, left, has demanded to know which Capitol police officer shot and killed his supporter Ashli Babbitt during the January 6 riot. Babbitt, pictured, a believer of QAnon conspiracy theories, was one of five who died as the violent rioters tried to breach the House chamber
Investigators determined Babbitt joined a crowd of people that gathered on the U.S. Capitol grounds before forcing their way into the Capitol building - which was closed to the public - and past U.S. Capitol Police officers attempting to maintain order.
'Ms. Babbitt was among a mob of people that entered the Capitol building and gained access to a hallway outside 'Speaker's Lobby,' which leads to the Chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives,' the statement reads.
'At the time, the USCP was evacuating Members from the Chamber, which the mob was trying to enter from multiple doorways.'
When cops used furniture to barricade a set of glass doors separating the hallway and Speaker's Lobby to try and stop the mob, the violent rioters attempted to break through the doors by striking three officers and breaking the glass with their hands, flagpoles, helmets, and other objects.
The three officers positioned outside the doors were forced to evacuate while Babbitt 'attempted to climb through one of the doors where glass was broken out.'
'An officer inside the Speaker's Lobby fired one round from his service pistol, striking Ms. Babbitt in the left shoulder, causing her to fall back from the doorway and onto the floor,' the statement reads.
Babbitt was transported to Washington Hospital Center where she died from her injuries.
The statement reads: 'The investigation revealed no evidence to establish that, at the time the officer fired a single shot at Ms. Babbitt, the officer did not reasonably believe that it was necessary to do so in self-defense or in defense of the Members of Congress and others evacuating the House Chamber.'
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