Lt. Michael Byrd, the Capitol Police officer who shot Ashli Babbitt on Jan. 6 during the Capitol riot, spoke out for the first time on Thursday during an interview with NBC News, explaining his side of the story and why he believes his actions that day "saved countless lives.”
Responsible for protecting between 60-80 lawmakers that day, Byrd told NBC's Lester Holt that inside the building, he was relying on what he was hearing over his police radio to get a sense of the threat.
There were shouts of officers down. Screams from his colleagues under attack by rioters with chemical agents. A report that an officer’s fingertips were blown off. (NBC)
“It was literally broadcast over the air,” Byrd said. “I said, ‘OK, this is getting serious.’”
Byrd and other officers barricaded the doors that led to the lobby of the House chamber with whatever furniture they could find.
“If they get through that door, they’re into the House chamber and upon the members of Congress,” he explained.
He said his throat hurt for days after the riot because he was yelling so much for demonstrators to get back, but they continued coming forward. When Babbitt attempted to climb through the window of one of the doors, Byrd fired a single shot, describing it as a “last resort." It struck Babbitt and she later died at a Washington hospital.
Due to his defensive position and the way the furniture was stacked, Byrd said he did not know how many people were coming, whether anyone had weapons, or that an officer was there.
“It was impossible for me to see what was on the other side,” he said.
“I could not fully see her hands or what was in the backpack or what the intentions are,” Byrd continued. “But they had shown violence leading up to that point.”
Babbitt was unarmed.
He dismissed allegations that he had a political agenda, arguing that being on the job for 28 years he has protected Democrats and Republicans alike, and said he would’ve done the same if former President Trump and his family had been in the Capitol that day.
While Byrd’s name was never released by Capitol Police or the Department of Justice, which in April said it would not pursue charges against the officer who killed Babbitt, he was able to be identified from video taken inside the Capitol that day, leading to death threats against him, he said.
He chose to speak out to set the record straight about his actions on Jan. 6, even if it leads to more threats.
“There was imminent threat and danger to the members of Congress," he said. “I believe I showed the utmost courage on January 6, and it’s time for me to do that now."
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
An attorney for Babbitt’s family has called the incident an “ambush,” alleging Byrd gave no warning before pulling the trigger.
“The way he did it — hiding in a room and then popping out and firing — is a problem,” said Babbitt family attorney Terry Roberts. “If his objective was to stop her, he didn’t need to shoot. He could have got out in front of her and used a number of other methods of less-lethal force. He could have tried to cuff her.”
The attorney is reportedly preparing to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the Capitol Police, seeking $10 million.
During the interview, Byrd also addressed an incident in 2019 when he left his service weapon in a bathroom, calling it a "terrible mistake" and one he "owned up to" and "was penalized for." It was discovered by another officer.