Ashli Babbitt death: Family of woman shot by cop during Jan 6 riot files $30M lawsuit against government
WASHINGTON, DC: The husband and estate of Ashli Babbitt, the woman shot and killed by a Capitol police officer during the January 6 Capitol riot, have filed a $30 million lawsuit against the US government.
The lawsuit contends that Babbitt's death resulted from an unjustified shooting, emphasizing that she was unarmed during the incident.
Ashli Babbitt traveled to Washington to attend Women for America First rally
The complaint, filed in the Southern District of California, outlines that Babbitt, a staunch supporter of then-President Donald Trump, traveled alone from San Diego to Washington, DC, on January 5, 2021, to attend the Women for America First rally at the Ellipse.
The rally featured President Trump and conservative speakers, and Babbitt intended to express her support for Trump's America First policies. Nevertheless, she and other Trump supporters breached the Capitol Building, prompting chaos as Congress was in the process of certifying the 2020 election results.
Video footage captured the moment when Babbitt attempted to climb through a smashed-out glass panel in a hallway leading to the House of Representatives chamber. A Capitol officer, later identified as Lt. Michael Byrd, opened fire, resulting in Babbitt's fatal injury.
The shooting, which occurred amid heightened tensions surrounding then-President Trump's baseless claims of election fraud, raised questions about the use of lethal force.
Lt Michael Byrd's perspective on the Capitol shooting
Byrd, the officer involved, spoke to 'NBC Nightly News' in 2021, justifying his actions by citing an imminent threat. He claimed that other officers were reportedly injured, he had ordered lawmakers to evacuate, and he faced a mob that allegedly refused commands to back down.
In an exclusive interview with @LesterHoltNBC, Capitol Police Lieutenant Michael Byrd describes why he’s choosing to identify himself. Byrd shares his account of the January 6 riot, as officers barricaded the door and he fired a single shot, killing Ashli Babbitt. pic.twitter.com/5E7KPtxNc2
— NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt (@NBCNightlyNews) August 26, 2021
The US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the US Capitol Police cleared Lt Byrd of criminal and internal wrongdoing, asserting that Babbitt was part of a mob attempting to breach the Capitol and that officers had used furniture to barricade the doors.
“At the time, the USCP 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 the 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," federal prosecutors wrote.
the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 (Getty Images)
They added, "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.”
Lawsuit challenges claims of Ashli Babbitt's involvement in Capitol riot
However, the lawsuit filed in the Southern District of California argues that Babbitt was not part of an organized group and did not have any unlawful intentions.
"Ashli did not go to Washington as part of a group or for any unlawful or nefarious purpose. She was there to exercise what she believed were her God-given, American liberties and freedoms,” the complaint stated.
