(LibertySociety.com) – Freedom of speech and assembly are core tenets of the First Amendment crafted by our founding fathers. Those principles allow people to make statements, especially if they disagree with the government. Calling upon those rights on January 6, thousands of protesters gathered at the US Capitol to show their displeasure with the disputed results of the 2020 presidential election. But when the citizens stormed inside the building, one of them, Ashli Babbitt, paid for the misstep with her life.
Since then, the country asked: “Who fired the fatal shot?” On August 26, Capitol police officer Lt. Michael Byrd spoke out in an interview on NBC News with Lester Holt to tell what happened on that fateful day.
In an exclusive interview with @LesterHoltNBC, Capitol Police Lieutenant Michael Byrd describes why he’s choosing to identify himself. Byrd shares his account of the January 6 riot, as officers barricaded the door and he fired a single shot, killing Ashli Babbitt. pic.twitter.com/5E7KPtxNc2
— NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt (@NBCNightlyNews) August 26, 2021
A Capitol Police investigation recently cleared the seasoned lieutenant of any wrongdoing during the insurrection and in the death of Ms. Babbitt. In his interview, he explained he shot the young woman as a “last resort” after shouting repeated warnings not to breach the barricaded doors. In fact, he “hoped and prayed” no one would try to enter.
But to protect the members of Congress, Byrd explained he used his police training to do his job as he saw fit and “saved countless lives” that day. Now, the man in blue is seeking a second chance with the public after receiving death threats to himself and his family.
Unfortunately, his actions resulted in a life cut short. And no matter what conclusion the internal investigation reached, Babbitt’s family still lost one of their own and will never see the justice they feel she deserves.
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