‘I saved countless lives’: Officer who shot Ashli Babbitt speaks out

The Capitol Police officer who fatally shot an unarmed protester inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 said he had no choice but to fire his weapon.

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In an interview with NBC News that aired Thursday, Lt. Michael Byrd said he tried to “wait as long as I could” before shooting Ashli Babbitt, 35.

“I hoped and prayed no one tried to enter through those doors,” Byrd told NBC News. “But their failure to comply required me to take the appropriate action to save the lives of members of Congress and myself and my fellow officers.”

Babbitt, an Air Force veteran, was struck in her left shoulder and fell to the ground. She later died from her injuries. She was one of five people who died when thousands of former President Donald Trump’s supporters descended on the Capitol while Congress was in session to ratify President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory.

In April, the U.S. Department of Justice confirmed that it had closed its investigation and would not pursue criminal charges against Byrd. The Capitol Police also declined to file charges against the officer.

>> Feds: No charges for Capitol Police officer who shot, killed Ashli Babbitt during Jan. 6 riot

Authorities “determined that there is insufficient evidence to support a criminal prosecution” against Byrd, following a “thorough investigation” that examined video footage, eyewitness statements and physical evidence surrounding the shooting, the DOJ stated in a news release at the time.

Byrd’s name had been withheld by authorities over safety concerns, but he chose to come forward publicly on NBC, The Associated Press reported.

During his interview, Byrd said he had “no doubt” he made the right decision.

“I know that day I saved countless lives,” Byrd told NBC News. “I know members of Congress, as well as my fellow officers and staff, were in jeopardy and in serious danger. And that’s my job.”

Byrd told NBC News that he did not know whether Babbitt was carrying a weapon, learning she was unarmed later that night.

Byrd said he fired his weapon as a “last resort.”

Byrd said he did not know if the person he shot was carrying a weapon but discovered she was unarmed later that night.

Asked why he pulled the trigger, Byrd said it was a “last resort,” adding that he and his colleagues were trapped and barricaded inside the Capitol with lawmakers. Byrd also said he yelled repeatedly for the crowd to move back.

On the other side of the door, video showed the moment Byrd fired a single shot, the AP reported. Babbitt was struck by the bullet as she was trying to climb through a jagged opening in a glass window leading to the doors of the House chamber.

Byrd said that because of furniture stacked on his side of the doors inside the Capitol, he was unable to determine how many people were on the other side and whether they were carrying weapons, NBC News reported.

“It was impossible for me to see what was on the other side,” Byrd told the network, adding that he did see a person -- later identified as Babbitt -- coming through the broken glass.

“I could not fully see her hands or what was in the backpack or what the intentions are,” Byrd told NBC News. “But they had shown violence leading up to that point.”

The Babbitt family’s attorney, Terry Roberts, did not respond to a request for comment, the network reported.

The family said it is considering a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against Byrd, CNN reported. They have already filed a civil lawsuit seeking records and other information from the police about the incident.

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