How did Ashli Babbitt die? Details explored as husband of the deceased files wrongful death suit against the U.S Government

According to court documents that were made public on Friday, January 5, the husband of rioter Ashli Babbitt has filed a $30 million wrongful death claim against the US government. Babbitt died on January 6, 2021.

Attorneys from the conservative legal advocacy group Judicial Watch filed a case in federal court in California on behalf of Aaron Babbitt, Ashli’s husband, and his estate. The case claimed assault and battery in addition to wrongful death.

During the Capitol attack on January 6, 2021, Ashli Babbitt attempted to enter the House chamber through a barred door but was shot and killed by police enforcement.

The barred door actually led to the Speaker's Lobby inside the Capitol. There, law enforcement was pulling Congressmen from the crowd that allegedly backed Trump's fictitious allegation that the 2020 presidential election was rigged. Ashli Babbitt was a Trump supporter and was a part of the riot.

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Ashli Babbitt's husband is suing the US government for his wife’s death

Ashli Babbitt was shot by U.S. Capitol Police Lt. Michael Byrd (Image via X / @MiddleManEC / @WeThePeople021)

A group of former president Donald Trump's supporters, led by Ashli Babbitt, of California, stormed the Capitol. They did it in an attempt to stop Congress from certifying President Biden's electoral victory. It happened during the Capitol attack on January 6, 2021.

As she raised herself into the aperture of a shattered glass door panel located deep within the structure, she was shot by a U.S. Capitol Police officer. Attempts to pass by the mob had knocked the panel out of place.

The incident took place in 2021. Now, after two years, her husband, Aaron Babbitt, has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government, seeking $30 million. Attorneys for the conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch are representing him and the estate. The case was filed on Friday, January 5, the eve of the insurrection's anniversary, in a U.S. District Court in California. The suit alleges wrongful death of Ashli Babbitt as well as assault and battery.

The lawsuit further claims that after "two individuals... struck and dislodged the glass panels in the lobby doors and the right door sidelight," and while protestors swarmed the "tightly packed" hallway outside the Speaker's Lobby, U.S. Capitol Police Lt. Michael Byrd shot Babbitt.

“Ashli loved her country and wanted to show her support for President Trump’s America First policies and to see and hear the president speak live while he remained in office,” the complaint also states.

Byrd allegedly shot the Air Force veteran in the left shoulder as she had pushed herself into the sidelight aperture. She was later declared dead at the Washington Hospital Center.

Furthermore, the attorneys accused Byrd of neglecting to exercise reasonable prudence when handling firearms, employing force, and assessing the threat's imminence.

In their complaint, the lawyers contended that Ashli Babbitt went to Washington, D.C., just to see a Trump event. It also stated,

“The facts speak truth. Ashli was ambushed when she was shot by Lt. Byrd.”

In addition, the lawsuit claimed that Byrd had not identified himself as an officer, was not wearing a uniform, and had not given Babbitt "any warnings or commands" prior to the killing.

In the interview that followed the incident, Byrd expressed his belief that he made the right choice and that he helped save "countless lives" that day. Afterwards, he was cleared.

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Babbitt's passing has sparked riots, protests, rap songs, and social media hashtags among far-right individuals.

The Capitol Police are yet to provide a statement or an explanation.