by Charlotte Hazard
The family of Jan. 6 protester Ashli Babbitt has filed a $30 million wrongful death lawsuit against the government, saying she posed no threat to anyone when she was killed.
Babbitt was fatally shot trying to enter a secured area inside the U.S. Capitol Building the day the Capitol riot took place three years ago. The 14-year Air Force veteran was unarmed at the time, as she tried to climb through a broken window in a door near the House Chamber.
The lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in Southern California, alleges that Babbitt was ambushed by Capitol Police Lt. Michael Byrd, who shot her.
“Ashli posed no threat to the safety of anyone,” the lawsuit reads.
In August of 2021, the Capitol Hill Police Department conducted an internal investigation and concluded that Byrd had violated no laws and would not be disciplined for the shooting.
“USCP officers had barricaded the Speaker’s Lobby with furniture before a rioter shattered the glass door,” the department said following the investigation, according to CBS News. “If the doors were breached, the rioters would have immediate access to the House chambers. The officer’s actions were consistent with the officer’s training and USCP policies and procedures.”
The lawsuit also accuses the Capitol Police of assault and negligent use of force.
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Charlotte Hazard is a 2022 Liberty University alumni who graduated with a major in journalism and a minor in government.
Photo “Ashli Babbitt” by Ashli Babbitt.
