Capitol Police chief: DOJ settlement in Jan. 6 shooting sends ‘chilling message’ to officers
The $5 million settlement resolves a civil suit despite DOJ and Capitol Police findings that a U.S. Capitol Police officer acted lawfully in the fatal shooting of Ashli Babbitt

May 20, 2025 11:55 AM •

Capitol Police chief: DOJ settlement in Jan. 6 shooting sends ‘chilling message’ to officers

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WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice has reached a nearly $5 million settlement with the family of Ashli Babbitt, the woman fatally shot by a U.S. Capitol Police officer during the events surrounding Jan. 6, 2021.

The agreement resolves a $30 million civil suit filed by Babbitt’s estate and Judicial Watch, ABC News reports. The suit alleged the officer who fired the shot, U.S. Capitol Police Lt. Michael Byrd, was negligent in his duties when Babbitt attempted to climb through a shattered window near the House Speaker’s Lobby.

The DOJ confirmed in court filings that a settlement had been reached but did not disclose whether the agreement included any admission of fault.

Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger issued a statement following news of the settlement, expressing disappointment.

“I am extremely disappointed and disagree with this settlement,” Manger said in a statement to Politico. “In 2021, the DOJ investigation determined no wrongdoing by police. This settlement sends a chilling message to law enforcement nationwide, especially to those with a protective mission like ours.”

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Byrd was cleared of criminal wrongdoing following a Justice Department investigation in April 2021. The DOJ concluded there was no evidence Byrd “did not reasonably believe that it was necessary to do so in self-defense or in defense of the Members of Congress and others evacuating the House Chamber.”

A separate internal investigation by the Capitol Police found Byrd’s actions were within department policy and that he would not face disciplinary action. In an August 2021 statement, the department said, “The actions of the officer in this case potentially saved Members and staff from serious injury and possible death from a large crowd of rioters who forced their way into the U.S. Capitol and to the House Chamber where Members and staff were steps away.”

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Babbitt was a 35-year-old Air Force veteran from California. She was among a group of rioters attempting to enter a secured area when she was shot. Byrd later went into hiding for months amid threats against him and his family.

Manger, who took over as chief of the Capitol Police in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 attack, is set to retire later in May.

Why?

She was committing a crime and was basically asking for it!

As far as I am concerned, breaking and entering individuals should be shot on sight!

Hopefully her grave will finally receive a golden urinal, hard to think of a better place to take a leak.

What do you expect when you have lawyers involved.
They see payday and come out of the woodwork.

quote:

Originally posted by theback40:
What do you expect when you have lawyers involved.
They see payday and come out of the woodwork.

The vermin of humanity!

They are the downfall of American society!

I think it's a fair settlement.

Typically, use of deadly force is only justified to prevent death or serious bodily injury to yourself or another that is imminent....in other words, immediate or about to happen. That girl got shot while climbing through a window. As I recall, she wasn't even armed other than a folding knife that was in her pocket and posed no immediate threat of death or serious bodily injury to the cop that shot her.

Under the facts as I understand them, if she posed an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury to those cops, then the cops could have shot every rioter that broke into the Capital on J6.

As for the opinions about lawyers, it rolls off my back. When it's your loved one that gets murdered by a cop or killed by a drunk driver or when you get fucked over in a contract dispute or your wife wants to take all your assets in that divorce or when the government is knocking on your door serving that warrant....just handle the legal issues yourself. I'm sure you'll be fine.

https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/...ue-tarrio-rcna211941

Proud Boys’ lawsuit is legally weak — but Trump’s DOJ will likely just surrender
The Justice Department already settled in the Ashli Babbitt case, signaling it won't fight back against legally unsound MAGA lawsuits.

The $100 million lawsuit filed by leaders of the far-right militant group the Proud Boys is legally unsound — but it has an excellent chance of success.

The plaintiffs — Henry “Enrique” Tarrio and four others — had been found guilty of seditious conspiracy and other crimes arising from their roles in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol that interfered with the transition of power following Joe Biden’s victory over Donald Trump in the 2020 election.

The lawsuit’s excellent chance of a successful outcome for Tarrio and his co-defendants-turned-co-plaintiffs rests entirely on the current Justice Department’s will to defend itself, which seems non-existent judging by DOJ’s recent capitulation in the wrongful death case brought by the estate of Ashli Babbitt, a Trump supporter shot and killed while trying to breach the House Speaker’s Lobby on Jan. 6.

They should turn in their pardon and fight it in court.

Babbitt’s lawsuit isn’t going to amount to much after legal fees, I suspect.

$100 million for being prosecuted and found guilty? Sounds like a reach… but then I felt the same about the huge payout to George Floyd’s family. If the guy ever had $10,000 in real cash I’d be surprised. Not much real damages… and the payouts don’t stop folks who are not personally responsible from doing these acts.

I tend to feel if Babitt, Floyd or any other cases like this..... If you hadnt been doing something wrong to begin with, there would be no case to bring forth.

Contingency lawyers spend their whole career dreaming about cases like these. For them it's like winning the lottery.

quote:

Originally posted by theback40:
I tend to feel if Babitt, Floyd or any other cases like this..... If you hadnt been doing something wrong to begin with, there would be no case to bring forth.

Yep. and there are a number of well worn quotes, sayings, cliches warning people of exactly this.

FAFO, Play silly games, win silly prizes, are two that come to mind.

Quite a contrast as to how law enforcement is treating violent 'protestors' in California in comparison to unarmed Ashley Babitt. Total failure in both situations.