Judicial Watch, a nonprofit American conservative activist group, announced on Monday that a hearing has been scheduled for Tuesday, August 6, in the $30 million wrongful death suit filed on behalf of Ashli Babbitt’s estate. Babbitt was shot and killed by Capitol Police Lieutenant Michael Byrd during the protests at the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
On Monday, Judicial Watch tweeted that Babbitt and her family “deserve accountability and justice.”
“Ashli Babbitt and her family deserve accountability and justice for her wrongful death on January 6. In short, there was no good reason for Lt. Byrd to ambush and shoot her,” Judicial Watch President @TomFitton (2/3). https://t.co/ffbkIHpp0t
— Judicial Watch ⚖️ (@JudicialWatch) August 5, 2024
In a press release posted to its website, the group accused the federal government of negligence, assault, battery and other offenses.
This is the first hearing to be held in the wrongful death lawsuit that was filed on January 5, 2024, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California against the U.S. Government on behalf of the family of Ashli Babbitt, the U.S. Air Force veteran who was shot and killed inside the U.S. Capitol by then-Capitol Police Lt. Michael Byrd on January 6, 2021 (Estate of Ashli Babbitt and Aaron Babbitt, et al. v. United States of America (No. 3:24-cv-00033)). The lawsuit includes claims against the U.S. Government for wrongful death, assault and battery, and various negligence issues.
Babbitt was a 35-year-old resident of San Diego, CA, where she owned and operated a successful pool business with her husband Aaron. Ashli traveled alone from San Diego to Washington, DC, to attend the Women for America First (aka Save America) rally on January 6, 2021, at the Ellipse.
They also accused the Biden regime of attempting to evade accountability in the matter:
“But the Biden Justice Department, rather than admit government wrongdoing, is doing its best try to ensure Ashli never gets her full day in court," @TomFitton (3/3). https://t.co/ffbkIHpp0t
— Judicial Watch ⚖️ (@JudicialWatch) August 5, 2024
According to the group’s complaint, Ashli Babbitt was ambushed by Lt. Michael Byrd who was “never charged or otherwise punished or disciplined” for her murder:
The shooting occurred at the east entrance to the Speaker’s Lobby. After demonstrators filled the hallway outside the lobby, two individuals in the crowded, tightly packed hallway struck and dislodged the glass panels in the lobby doors and the right door sidelight. Lt. Byrd, who is a United States Capitol Police commander and was the incident commander for the House on January 6, 2021, shot Ashli on sight as she raised herself up into the opening of the right door sidelight. Lt. Byrd later confessed that he shot Ashli before seeing her hands or assessing her intentions or even identifying her as female. Ashli was unarmed. Her hands were up in the air, empty, and in plain view of Lt. Byrd and other officers in the lobby.
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The facts speak truth. Ashli was ambushed when she was shot by Lt. Byrd. Multiple witnesses at the scene yelled, “you just murdered her.”
Lt. Byrd was never charged or otherwise punished or disciplined for Ashli’s homicide.
Ashli Babbitt was unarmed except for a folding knife that was kept in her pocket. She was not attacking or threatening anyone when she was murdered by Lt. Byrd.
This is the last video recorded by Airman Ashli Babbitt.
— I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸 (@ImMeme0) January 6, 2024
January 6th, 2021, Ashli was needlessly murdered at the U.S. capitol by Lt. Michael Byrd.
She was a veteran and a peaceful protester, posed zero threat as she had a few police officers within arms length of her when Byrd… pic.twitter.com/o35ZmFt8Z1
