Law enforcement official calls Trump’s claim about US Capitol riot shooting false

Donald Trump has spread false information about the officer who shot US Capitol rioter Ashli Babbitt after she stormed the building, according to a law enforcement officer.

The former president claimed on Sunday that the rioter was shot by a “head of security” for a “high-ranking” Democratic member of Congress.

“Who shot Ashli Babbitt? People want to know and why,” Mr Trump said when speaking on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures program, hosted by Maria Bartiromo.

Ms Bartiromo then asked Mr Trump who he thought shot the woman who has become a cause célèbre among conservatives as they attempt to downplay the violent episode.

“I will tell you they know who shot Ashli Babbitt, they’re protecting that person,” he said. “I’ve heard also that it was the head of security for a certain high official — a Democrat — and we’ll see because it’s going to come out. It’s going to come out.”

Ms Bartiromo later said, “I want you to know that my team reached out to Senator Chuck Schumer’s office to check on what he may know about who shot Ashli Babbitt. We have not heard back from Chuck Schumer’s office.”

“I wonder why,” Mr Trump responded.

A senior law enforcement official who was briefed on the matter told NBC News that Mr Trump’s claim was false and that the 35-year-old woman was not shot by a member of security detail for a member of Congress. Also, the officer has yet to return to the police force, the official added.

But that hasn’t stopped Mr Trump and other members of the far-right from pushing conspiracy theories surrounding the death of the rioter.

“The person that shot Ashli Babbitt – boom – right through the head – just boom – there was no reason for that,” Mr Trump said during a 7 July press conference. “And why isn’t that person being opened up, and why isn’t that being studied? They’ve already written it off. They said that case is closed. If that were the opposite, that case would be going on for years and years, and it would not be pretty.”

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for Washington DC determined that Ms Babbitt was shot in the front left shoulder, not the head, like Mr Trump claimed.

Also a video, which was obtained by The Washington Post, showed the moment that the officer, who has not been identified, shoots Ms Babbitt.

In the video, Ms Babbitt was in the Speaker’s Lobby attempting to climb through a broken window in order to access the House floor.

The officer was facing an angry mob in the US Capitol, so the Justice Department decided not to prosecute the person on the ground that the mob’s advance was a risk to the safety of law enforcement officials and lawmakers in the building.

“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,” the Justice Department said in a statement released in April