(Adnkronos) – The United States government will pay five million dollars (about 4.5 million euros) to the family of Ashli Babbitt, the woman killed by police during the assault on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. According to American media, the Justice Department accepted the agreement to close the case after the family sued the administration, seeking 30 million dollars in compensation for ‘wrongful death’.
“I am extremely disappointed and disagree with this settlement,” commented outgoing Capitol Hill Police Chief Tom Manger in a statement. “In 2021, the Justice Department’s investigation found no wrongdoing by the police. This agreement sends a chilling message to law enforcement across the nation, especially those with a protective mission like ours.”
Babbitt, a 35-year-old Air Force veteran from San Diego, was unarmed when she was fatally shot by a police officer while trying to force a door to the Capitol. According to the family’s lawyers, the police officer, who was not in uniform, had given no warning before opening fire. “Ashli did not pose a threat to anyone’s safety,” the family’s appeal reads.
