A use-of-force expert is the latest to weigh in on the tragic death of Ashli Babbitt during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol Building.
As noted by The Western Journal, Babbitt, 35, “was shot by Capitol Police Lt. Michael Byrd, who was later cleared of any wrongdoing,” with the outlet adding that she was shot in the left shoulder and neck area, later dying at a Washington, D.C.-area hospital.
Contrary to the left’s narratives, Babbitt was the only person killed during the riot; the other deaths linked to the incident, including that of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who died afterward from a medical issue not related to the riot.
Now, her death is getting another look in an Epoch Times documentary called “The Real Story of Jan. 6,” which is featured on the outlet’s streaming channel.
The Western Journal notes:
The documentary includes commentary from Stan Kephart, whose credentials include more than 350 court appearances as an expert witness on police conduct, including excessive force, police discipline, officer safety, and crowd control.
“My conclusion … based on what I saw and observed in the video clips is that Ashli Babbitt was murdered,” said Kephart, who served 42 years in law enforcement and was director of security for the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.
“She was shot and killed under color of authority by an officer who violated not only the law but his oath and committed an arrestable offense,” Kephart added.
He went on to say that according to him, there is nothing in the video of Byrd shooting Babbitt that led him to believe the officer was ever in any real danger from the supporter of former President Donald Trump, even as she attempted to breach a broken window into an area near the House chamber. Besides, Babbitt was small in stature at 5′ 2″ and 110 pounds.
“In order for lethal force to be authorized, the officer has to be able to articulate that he or she was in fear of losing his life, was about to be killed, or grievously injured,” Kephart said in the documentary, according to The Epoch Times.
“There is nothing I saw in that film that would indicate that was possible or probable from what unfolded,” he said.
Of course, Byrd’s attorney, Mark Schamel, defended his client, saying Kephart’s conclusion was “unsupported and erroneous.”
“When Ms. Babbitt entered through the broken window and entered the inner protected area, wearing a backpack and refusing the verbal commands of multiple armed federal officers with weapons drawn, the threat she posed was clear and Lt. Byrd, as the first officer in the final line of defense, was absolutely justified in his use of force,” he said, according to The Epoch Times.
Aaron Babbitt, Ashli’s husband, said former New York City Police Commissioners Bernard Kerik and Ray Kelly have agreed with Kephart, the outlet reported.
“I loved hearing that from him. He’s obviously well-versed in the use of force,” Babbitt told The Epoch Times. “He’s clearly a very smart man who has been in that business for a long time. He should be listened to.”
