The family of the U.S Capitol rampager shot dead by police while trying to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s election win over Donald Trump has reportedly settled a lawsuit with the Trump administration-appointed Department of Justice.
A $30 million civil suit was filed on behalf of Ashli Babbitt‘s estate after U.S. Capitol Police Lt. Michael Byrd shot the Trump loyalist while protecting lawmakers from an invading MAGA mob on Jan. 6, 2021.
The plaintiff’s attorney and a DOJ lawyer confirmed a settlement in principle was reached Friday, but gave no details about the proposed deal. Nothing has been signed yet.
Babbitt’s attorneys argued she was unarmed and that Byrd shot her after failing to “de-escalate” the intense confrontation between police and Trump supporters storming the building. The officer, who said he fired as a “last resort” as she was crawling through a broken door, was cleared of charges.
While Babbitt’s death was viewed as a direct consequence of her own actions by many, the 36-year-old Air Force veteran became a martyr to MAGA loyalists. In October 2021, Trump recorded a video honoring Babbitt on her birthday and calling for “justice.”
“Please know that her memory will live on in our hearts for all time,” he told her family and friends.
In the months leading up to her death, Babbitt excitedly expressed pro-Trump conspiracy theories on social media. Many Trump supporters falsely believed the election had somehow been stolen from Trump, which he continues to claim despite a lack of evidence.
More than 1,500 people were charged with crimes connected to the siege on the Capitol. Trump pardoned them when he returned to office Jan. 20.
With News Wire Services
Originally Published: May 2, 2025 at 9:23 PM EDT
