A report from government watchdog Judicial Watch reveals that Michael Byrd, the Capitol Police officer who shot and killed an unarmed Ashli Babbitt during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol, was given, afterward, the "Distinguished Visitor Suite" at Joint Base Andrews in which to live.
The report said thousands of taxpayer dollars were used to house Byrd and "his pet" for several months.
It was the only "homicide" tied to the riot, the watchdog said.
Through a Freedom of Information fight, Judicial Watch got 31 pages of documents from the Air Force showing Byrd's housing was at "taxpayer expense."
"Judicial Watch obtained the records in response to a September 2022 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia after Joint Base Andrews, the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department, and the FBI failed to respond to three July 2022 FOIA requests about Byrd’s housing at Joint Base Andrews while his name as the shooter of Ashli Babbitt was being withheld from the public by the government" the organization reported.
"The documents show that Lieutenant Byrd and a pet stayed in a 'Distinguished Visitor Suite' at the 'Presidential Inn' (part of Air Force Inns) under a 'Capitol Police Presidential Inn Reservation' for the period July 8, 2021, through January 28, 2022," the report said.
"A representative at Joint Base Andrews informed us that a 'Distinguished Visitor Suite' is typically reserved for officers at the rank of O-7 (Brigadier general or higher)," the watchdog said.
"The records and an email dated November 15, 2021, indicate the cost of Lt. Byrd’s lodging fluctuated: from $161 in July 2021, to $158 for August 2021, to $184 for September 2021, to $185 for October 2021, and to $165 for November 2021," Judicial Watch said.
Judicial Watch said it earlier got audio, visual, and photographic records from Washington Metro police about the shooting, including a cell phone video of the shooting.
"We previously uncovered records from the DC Metropolitan Police showing that officers reported they didn’t see a weapon in Babbitt’s hand before Byrd shot her and that Byrd was visibly distraught afterward. One officer attested that he didn’t recall hearing any verbal commands before Byrd shot Babbitt. The records include internal communications about Byrd’s case and a crime scene examination report. Investigators who wrote on January 6, 2021, for Babbitt (identified as Ashli Elizabeth McEntee-Babbitt Pamatian) note that the possible Manner of Death was 'Homicide (Police-Involved Shooting)," the watchdog reported.
WND reported only last week that on the second anniversary of Babbitt's shooting death, Capitol Police arrested her mother, Micki Mitthoeft, for protesting what happened back then.
The Gateway Pundit posted a statement from the police agency that said Witthoeft was accused of blocking traffic and not obeying an order.
The report explained, "Micki Witthoeft was part of a group of protesters walking westbound on Independence Avenue between the Capitol and House office buildings. A trailing police officer in a marked car tried to order the protesters to move to the sidewalk away from the Capitol. The protesters ignored the warning and continued marching, with Witthoeft on the outside in the middle of a traffic lane."
It continued, "Capitol Police set up a roadblock and ordered the protesters to cross the street to the sidewalk or be arrested. After an officer shoulder-checked Witthoeft where she tried to move past him, Witthoeft turned her back to the officers and offered to be arrested."
🚨 BREAKING ‼️
They arrested Ashli Babbitt’s mom, Micki, for jaywalking!
I guess she’s lucky they didn’t murder her like they did her daughter.https://t.co/9e4LpovO5i https://t.co/4tbIsEMLiN pic.twitter.com/SrU7Y6znma— StopHate.com🛑 (@HelpStopHate) January 6, 2023
Ashli Babbit‘s mom getting arrested at the Capitol on the second anniversary of the #J6 riot Is all the schadenfreude I needed today😂#FAFO #InsurrectionistLoser #Yoinked #ByeMicki pic.twitter.com/jAN4m6slFF
— Baldy Banks (@BaldyBanks) January 6, 2023
via madpatriotnews