This is an opinion column.

The Jefferson County Republican Party has deleted a retweet of a Jan. 6 post by a former Trump Administration official who wrote that former U.S. Capitol Police officer Lt. Michael Byrd “murdered” rioter Ashli Babbitt, who was shot and killed while participating in the insurrection two years ago when thousands stormed the capitol seeking to prevent Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election.

The original tweet was posted by Sabastian Gorka, who once served as deputy security advisor to former President Donald Trump. (“A nice lady once called me Mr. MAGA,” his Twitter page reads). He was also an editor at Breitbart.

The tweet reads: “Her name was Ashli Babbitt. She was an unarmed Air Force Veteran. She was murdered two years ago today by Lt. Michael Byrd. #TheRealJ6″

Gorka’s tweet was posted at 8:21 a.m. ET and retweeted soon thereafter by @JeffAL_GOP.

It was removed after being forwarded to county GOP chair Paul DeMarco by AL.com.

“I told the lady who did it to take it down,” DeMarco said. “I’m an attorney. Murder—that’s a legal definition. Everyone can have a different opinion (about the January 6 attack) but that’s a legal definition. I don’t think we should be tweeting stuff that involves the legal definition. That’s somebody else’s opinion.”

Babbitt was shot in the shoulder by Byrd as she and dozens of others broke through glass doors inside the building leading to the House chambers where members of Congress were being protected from the protestors, some of whom were armed.

At least 978 people have been arrested in charged for the attack; 465 pleaded guilty.

After hundreds of interviews and reviewing thousands of documents relating to the riot, the 10-member House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, which contained two Republicans, last week recommended the U.S. Department of Justice levy four charges against Trump: conspiracy to defraud the U.S., conspiracy to make false statements, inciting an insurrection and obstruction of an official proceeding.

The Justice Department is under no obligation to bring the charges.

A Justice Department investigation into Babbitt’s death “determined that there is insufficient evidence to support a criminal prosecution” and no charges were filed against Byrd.

In announcing its decision, the DOJ said: “The investigation further determined that 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. At the time, the [U.S. Capitol Police] was evacuating Members from the Chamber, which the mob was trying to enter from multiple doorways.

“USCP officers used furniture to barricade a set of glass doors separating the hallway and Speaker’s Lobby to try and stop the mob from entering the Speaker’s Lobby and the Chamber, and three officers positioned themselves between the doors and the mob. Members of the mob attempted to break through the doors by striking them and breaking the glass with their hands, flagpoles, helmets, and other objects.

“Eventually, the three USCP officers positioned outside the doors were forced to evacuate. As members of the mob continued to strike the glass doors, Ms. 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. A USCP emergency response team, which had begun making its way into the hallway to try and subdue the mob, administered aid to Ms. Babbitt, who was transported to Washington Hospital Center, where she succumbed to her injuries.”

In an exclusive interview with NBC’s Lester Holt following the conclusion of the investigation, Byrd said:

“Once we barricaded the doors, we were essentially trapped where we were. There was no way to retreat. No other way to get out. If they get through that door, they’re into the House chamber and upon the members of Congress. I know that day I saved countless lives. I know members of Congress, as well as my fellow officers and staff, were in jeopardy and in serious danger. And that’s my job.”

Babbitt remains a rallying figure for the far-right that stills defends the riot; Gorka’s tweet has more than 6,000 retweets

“That’s how people get in trouble on Twitter,” DeMarco said. “Democrats do, Republicans, everybody. I’m more like: If we’re gonna retweet stuff, let it be from local elected officials, about Alabama. Let’s be honest, there’s a lot of talking heads out there in Washington D.C. that just quote stuff so they can get likes and tweets; let’s let them do that. Let’s not be part of that. Let’s focus on our local stuff.”