Last Updated on August 25, 2021
The plainclothes officer who gunned down unarmed military veteran and election integrity protester Ashli Babbitt at the Capitol on Jan. 6 will be granted an exclusive interview with Lester Holt of NBC News. The interview promises to reveal the killer’s full name, even though he has already been independently identified by Taylor Hansen as Lt. Michael Byrd.
NBC News proclaimed in a press release on Wednesday that “NBC News’ Lester Holt will sit down in an exclusive interview with the U.S. Capitol Police officer responsible for shooting and killing protestor Ashli Babbitt while defending the U.S. House chamber during the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack. The interview will air Thursday, August 26 during NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt at 6:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. CT.”
“Speaking out and revealing his identity publicly for the first time, the officer will share his perspective on the events of that day, including the aftermath of the deadly insurrection and the threats he has received,” the press release stated. “He will also discuss the recent news that Capitol Police will not discipline him following an internal review, exonerating him for use of force, as first reported by NBC News.”
As National File previously reported, Babbitt’s killer was exonerated in an internal investigation that was highly criticized for partisanship by many experts:
The man who abruptly and suddenly shot and killed patriotic veteran Ashli Babbitt on January 6 has been formally exonerated following an “internal probe” by Capitol Police. Evidence suggests that her killer is a Capitol Hill Lt. named Michael Leroy Byrd.
The Capitol Police officer who fatally shot Ashli Babbitt outside a door of the U.S. Capitol has been formally exonerated after an internal investigation, according to reports. Independent journalist Taylor Hansen has previously identified Babbitt’s shooter as Capitol Hill Police Lt. Michael Leroy Byrd, as reported by National File.
