U.S. Reaches Settlement in Case Over Fatal Attack on Trump Supporter During Jan. 6 Capitol Riot

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() -- The U.S. has reached an agreement in principle with the estate of Ashli Babbit, the demonstrator who was shot and killed By a law enforcement officer as she attempted to break into the meeting rooms of the House of Representatives during the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.

Attorneys from the US Justice Department and Babbitt’s estate disclosed the financial arrangement during a court proceeding on Friday in Washington but did not reveal the sum involved. They mentioned that a concluding settlement should be finalized within the next few months.

This action represents the most recent attempt by President Donald Trump’s administration to mitigate the legal consequences stemming from the attack on the Capitol carried out by a group of his followers. On his inaugural day as president, Trump issued a pardon covering those involved. 1,500 people charged in connection with the Capitol riot, pardoned almost all those who were found guilty, and directed that ongoing cases be dropped.

At age 35, Babbitt, originally from California and a former member of the Air Force, was hailed as a MAGA icon after her passing. Footage captured during the incident displayed Babbit wearing an American flag draped across her shoulders as she was struck while attempting to crawl through a shattered window into the Speaker’s Lobby, which connects to the House chamber. Subsequently, she passed away at Washington Hospital Center.

In January 2024, Babbitt’s estate along with her spouse, Aaron Babbitt, initiated a wrongful death lawsuit. They claimed that Capitol Police Lieutenant Michael Byrd acted negligently when he fired a solitary round at Babbitt without issuing a warning as she tried to access a restricted zone via a shattered window before a crowd surged forward.

"Securing any agreement would represent a significant step toward achieving justice for Ashli Babbitt, and we anticipate wrapping up this matter," stated Tom Fitton, who serves as the president of Judicial Watch, a conservative advocacy organization representing the estate.

Initially disclosed as part of a disagreement involving the Babbitt estate and their previous legal counsel, Maryland-based attorney Terrell Roberts III, this preliminary accord came to light. In court documents, Attorney Roberts expressed worries about not receiving compensation he claims is due to him based on a contingency fee arrangement. Although he exited the proceedings "for cause," the specific rationale behind his departure remains undisclosed.

A probable agreement comes after numerous steps taken by the Trump administration to shield those implicated in the Jan. 6 assault and penalize officers who were part of what became one of the largest federal investigations in U.S. history. Following his inauguration, over a dozen personnel from the Justice Department who had been investigating Trump’s activities were dismissed.

In November, as a direct result of Trump’s election victory, the Justice Department dropped criminal charges against the incoming president over his conduct around the 2020 election.

The Justice Department did not promptly reply to a request seeking comments on the settlement.

The investigation into Babbitt’s death was conducted by the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia along with the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. In April 2021, the government declared that they wouldn’t bring charges against Byrd since there was no proof that his behavior broke federal criminal laws.

(Updated to include comments from Judicial Watch.)

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