It’s been more than four long years since a U.S. Capitol Police lieutenant with a troubled disciplinary history shot and killed unarmed Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt as she tried to climb through a broken window into an anteroom outside of the House chambers, but her family appears to have gotten some justice for that very unnecessary killing…sort of.
Politico reporter Kyle Cheney noted on X that a former attorney for the family said a journalist informed him the parties had reached a financial settlement. Cheney linked to a court filing detailing the settlement terms, which states the case will be dismissed with prejudice—preventing the plaintiffs from refiling on the same claims. The dismissal will resolve the yearslong litigation without the government admitting any wrongdoing. “Plaintiffs and Defendant have reached a settlement agreement resolving all claims in this action,” the document read. The agreement mandates that “each party shall bear its own costs, expenses, and attorneys’ fees” and that “this Stipulation of Dismissal shall be effective immediately upon filing.”
Both sides’ attorneys signed the document. The settlement amount, if any, wasn’t disclosed. The Hill added that DOJ said there was a “settlement in principle,” noting further: “At an emergency hearing Friday afternoon, DOJ lawyer Joseph Gonzalez and Robert Sticht, a lawyer for Babbitt’s husband, Aaron, acknowledged the settlement agreement but said nothing has been signed. They indicated the exact terms of the agreement were still in flux and would not be imminently formalized.”
Babbitt, a 35-year-old Air Force veteran and Trump supporter, was fatally shot during the riot as she attempted to climb through a window into the Speaker’s Lobby. Then-Capitol Police Lt. (later promoted to Captain) Michael Byrd fired one shot, striking her shoulder. She was taken to Washington Hospital Center, where she later died.
The Justice Department investigated and concluded there was insufficient evidence to bring criminal charges against Byrd. While Babbitt’s family may find some measure of closure, the officer responsible will not face accountability. Conservatives condemned the use of what they called excessive force, while many on the left praised the shooting and defended the officer—highlighting a stark display of hypocrisy. This unnecessary use of force was fine with Democrats, see, because the officer was black and he killed a Trump supporter.
As a reminder, Byrd was a problem child for the Capitol Police. “The issues in Captain Michael Byrd’s background included a failed shotgun qualification test, a failed FBI background check for a weapon’s purchase, a 33-day suspension for a lost weapon and referral to Maryland state prosecutors for firing his gun at a stolen car fleeing his neighborhood, according to congressional and police documents obtained by Just the News.”