On Friday the Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed a settlement in principle was reached in the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Ashli Babbitt, the unarmed Air Force veteran fatally shot by Capitol Police during the events of January 6, 2021.
The lawsuit, spearheaded by Judicial Watch on behalf of the Babbitt family, alleges gross misconduct and longstanding incompetence by Lt. Michael Byrd, the Capitol Police officer who shot Babbitt as she attempted to enter the Speaker’s Lobby near the House chamber.
Judicial Watch has long asserted that Byrd acted recklessly and unjustifiably, and cited a troubling history of misconduct that should have disqualified him from carrying a weapon, let alone making a split-second lethal decision against an unarmed American citizen.
The suit outlines a pattern of documented failures by Lt. Byrd, including:
Repeated failure to complete mandatory firearms qualifications; Leaving a loaded Glock 22—the very weapon used to shoot Babbitt—unattended in a Capitol restroom; A prior off-duty incident in which Byrd fired his weapon at a fleeing vehicle, hitting nearby homes.
The lawsuit also cites Byrd’s reputation among fellow officers as someone who was “not a good shot,” further calling into question his fitness