GOP senator clashes with radio caller who wants identity of cop who shot Babbitt

North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer (R) clashed with a radio caller demanding to know the identity of the officer who shot Ashli Babbitt, one of the supporters of former President Trump who forced their way into the Capitol on Jan. 6. 

During an appearance on WDAY’s “The Jay Thomas Show” on Tuesday, Cramer was answering questions from various callers when one asked about the identity of the officer who killed Babbitt. 

Cramer replied that even he doesn’t know the person’s identity, but the caller argued that since he’s a “citizen of the United States,” he has the right to know the identity of the officer. 

“The person that shot her is a police officer shooting a criminal not complying with officers telling her, ‘Stop. Don’t come through that window. We have guns drawn. Don’t do it.’ They’re protecting people, and the officer was found to be innocent of any wrongdoing,” Cramer told the caller. “So then what would be the purpose of releasing that officer’s name? What do you need to know the officer’s name for?”

“Well, because we know everybody else’s name if a police officer shoots a citizen of this country. I mean, crying out loud, if you shoot an illegal alien, we’re going to know that police officer’s name,” the caller argued. “This is a police officer that shot someone in our Capitol, and his name is being withheld.”

Cramer added that the officer isn’t a suspect and that “he’s been found not guilty of any wrongdoing.”

“It seems to be kind of a textbook situation, frankly. I’m the one who personally does not think there is a right to know the name of every police officer who shoots a criminal or perpetrator, unless of course, there are charges brought or an indictment brought, or something like that. I’ll look into it to see what the law says about the release of the name. I’m just grateful for this person, quite honestly,” Cramer said. 

CNN’s Andrew Kaczynski shared the full transcript of Cramer’s radio interview to Twitter. 

Full exchange with the radio caller, from the Jay Thomas Show yesterday. pic.twitter.com/CiR0cE7X2K

— andrew kaczynski (@KFILE) July 28, 2021

Their confrontation stems from the death of Babbitt, one of the five people who died during the Jan.6 insurrection when Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in an attempt to stop the electoral count of President Biden’s victory. 

Video surfaced of Babbitt, a Trump supporter, getting shot by a Capitol police officer while trying to enter the window of a wing of the building. 

Four officers who were on duty during the riot testified at the first hearing held by the House committee probing the Jan. 6 attack on Tuesday. 

The Hill has reached out to Cramer’s office for comment.