WASHINGTON, DC – Lt. Michael Byrd showed absolutely no remorse, no regret, and no mercy over hiss killing of an unarmed woman, U.S. Capitol rioter Ashli Babbit. Instead, he referred to himself as a hero who saved lives in an interview with NBC News.
“I saved countless lives,” Byrd said. “I was very afraid.”
Byrd said he heard calls of shots fired and officers down. Those reports were false and said Babbit crossed “the last line of defense”, saying he shouted “please stop”, but that was never heard on the video. He can be seen firing a single shot at near point-blank range at Babbit.
The officer said he aimed at Babbit’s center mass and fired the shot that killed her.
“She was posing a threat to the United States House of Representatives,” Byrd said. “That was my mission. That was what I prepared for and it’s rewarding and refreshing to hear that [he would not face criminal charges]”