Numerous aspects of what unfolded during the Capitol riot have been hotly debated in the months since it happened, but few have been as contentious and emotional as the debate over the officer-involved shooting death of Trump supporter Ashli Babbitt.
The 35-year-old Air Force veteran was shot and killed by Capitol Police Lt. Michael Byrd on January 6th after she tried to climb through a glass-paneled door after parts of it had been shattered by another rioter, identified as Zachary Jordan Alam.
Just last week, the Capitol Police confirmed a report from NBC News that they had exonerated Byrd, a 28-year veteran of the force.
They stated in a press release that Byrd - who they did not name - "Will not be facing internal discipline" because in their view Byrd's conduct "Was lawful and within Department policy, which says an officer may use deadly force only when the officer reasonably believes that action is in the defense of human life, including the officer's own life, or in the defense of any person in immediate danger of serious physical injury."
Byrd shares his account of the January 6 riot, as officers barricaded the door and he fired a single shot, killing Ashli Babbitt.
Of all of the lines from Byrd, this one stands out: "I could not fully see her hands or what was in the backpack or what the intentions are." So, Byrd admitted he did not see a weapon or an immediate threat from Babbitt beyond her trying to enter through the window.
Under these standards, police officers should not shoot unarmed suspects or rioters without a clear threat to themselves or fellow officers.
Monday, August 30, 2021
Statements By Capitol Police Officer Who Killed Ashli Babbitt 'Demolish the Two Official Reviews That Cleared Him'
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