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The official narrative behind US Capitol Police Lt. Michael Byrd just got much more interesting.
On January 6, 2021, video evidence captured US Capitol Police Lieutenant Michael Byrd shooting unarmed Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt without warning as she attempted to climb through a narrow window near a barricaded entryway to the Speaker of the House’s office area in the U.S. Capitol.
Following an investigation, Byrd was cleared of any wrongdoing, although questions remain about the escalation to lethal force without attempts to subdue or detain Babbitt. In the video, other armed law enforcement officers are visible in the background, appearing available to provide backup if needed.
In addition to Byrd leaving his Glock 22 service weapon in a Visitor’s Center bathroom in February 2019, Byrd also had his police powers revoked on several occasions for failing to meet semi-annual firearms qualifications standards.
The Gateway Pundit previously reported this in an article outlying a $30 million wrongful death suit brought by Judicial Watch on behalf of Ashli’s husband, Aaron Babbitt.
Despite previous lapses in protocol, such as leaving his service weapon in a Visitor’s Center bathroom in 2019, Michael Byrd was exonerated of any wrongdoing in Babbitt’s death and later promoted.
Now, Newly published emails by Just The News raise additional questions regarding Byrd’s treatment and circumstances: Could this indicate a potential cover-up?
“[Chairman was speaking with] Lt. Mike Byrd. He is very upset with how he is being treated. He wants us to figure this out and now,” reads an email from Steve Marchese, who describes himself as “Clerk and Subcommittee Staff Director Legislative Branch Committee on Appropriations” for the US House of Representatives in the signature.
The email was sent on November 18, 2021 to Timothy Blodgett, who was then and is still serving as the Chief of Staff for US Capitol Police, according to his LinkedIn. Blodgett was also named as Acting Sergeant at Arms for the House from January 12, 2021 through April 21, 2021.
It was CC’d to Elizabeth Lapham, who was an Administrative Assistant to the House Appropriations Committee and the Subcommittee on Homeland Security, according to her LinkedIn.
The email that sparked this interaction and upset Byrd for his treatment is even more concerning. On November 16th, 2021, two days prior, Byrd reached out to US Capitol Police General Counsel Thomas A. DiBiase (TAD) with concerns about how much money he was receiving. DiBiase disclosed that Byrd had received $36,000 and specifically drew attention to the fact that other officers were only receiving $3,000 each.
Byrd initially wrote DiBiase inquiring about the “status of the memorial fund and the background check.” In response, DiBiase said in regard to the Memorial Fund “we have all your information. We are working on an announcement for the entire Department as to how folks injured on 1/6 can apply to the Fund and we will consider all claims at that point.”
For the record, there is no evidence or claims of Michael Byrd sustaining any injuries on January 6th. Why is he being allocated funds from a “Memorial Fund” for injured or deceased officers?
DiBiase’s response angered Byrd, who replied:
I don’t think that’s fair to me and my wife[.] [Y]ou know our situation and what we’ve been dealing with. What you proposed could take months. Our expectation was that this would be done soon. Now you’re telling me we got to wait for the rest of the department to even file claims, get evaluated and go through the process we have endured for months.
That is blatantly wrong to treat us like this. This was never proposed to us in this manner. Now we’re being grouped in with everyone else. Wow! This is really bad for you all to do this to us when you know we’re expecting to have the funds soon. So disappointing!”
Since there is no evidence that Byrd was injured or otherwise eligible under the criteria for the Memorial Fund, his entitlement to these funds remains unclear.
In response, DiBiase acknowledges that they “have already provided [Byrd] $36,000 in unrestricted retention funds.” DiBiase then admits that the “rest of the department” is only receiving $3,000, less than one-tenth of what Byrd received.
DiBiase then states that it will likely take weeks, not months, and in the meantime, they are providing Byrd with “housing, training to take a Department shotgun home and extensive security upgrades at your personal residence.”
The response from DiBiase further angered Byrd, who wrote back, “We play the game as you request and then once we’re in compliance You guys change the rules on us.” Byrd says he wasn’t aware that he would be “looped in with everyone” in the department and would have been better prepared if he did.
Byrd notes that his wife is “vividly upset and in tears because of this news” and complains that he has to wait to start a GoFundMe until he can get approval.
You can read the email chain obtained by Just The News here.
A History of Trouble
Rep. Barry Loudermilk, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight, inquired with USCP Chief Thomas Manger to better understand the promotion process that led to Lt. Byrd’s promotion to Captain.
In the letter, Rep. Loudermilk wrote that then-Sergeant Byrd was referred to the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) in 2004 for discharging his service weapon at a fleeing vehicle in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
Byrd claimed that he was investigating a “loud banging noise” in the middle of the night from outside his home. When he went outside with his service weapon, two vans were parked outside of his neighbors house. The vans fled, the first one apparently attempting to hit him. Byrd said he fired two rounds at the oncoming vehicle after shouting “STOP!”
The second van then drove towards him, at which point Byrd alleges he fired a single round through the window at the driver’s side.
However, the investigation did not support Byrd’s claims. From the letter:
After this encounter, Prince George’s County Police found both vans and conducted a search of the vehicles. According to Prince George’s County Police, there were no bullet holes in either van’s windshield.
Police did find, however, a bullet hole near the gas cap of the second van. Police determined that the bullet entered the van from a “rear angle,” indicating the van was shot at from behind. One of the investigating officers observed that, “based on where [the bullet was found]…where’s the threat, because it [was] in the driver’s side rear quarter panel.”
OPR noted that “based on the location of the shell casings and the angle that Sergeant Byrd alleged he discharged his service weapon,” Byrd’s testimony that he fired at the vans as they attempted to hit him is “inaccurate.”
OPR concluded that the evidence suggests Byrd “discharged his service weapon at the vans after they passed him by.” Despite this, USCP noted that the investigation found insufficient evidence to determine Byrd violated USCP’s Truthfulness policy.
At the conclusion of the investigation, OPR determined that Byrd violated USCP’s Use of Force Policy and Use of Weapon Policy by discharging his weapon in a “careless and imprudent manner.” Specifically, OPR concluded that Byrd improperly discharged his service weapon while his neighbor was in the line of fire and after both stolen vehicles had passed by him. OPR also noted that the Maryland state prosecutor assigned to the incident determined Byrd used “bad judgement” in his actions responding to the carjacking.
Additionally, following OPR’s review, Inspector Yancey Garner sent a memorandum to Chief Terrance Gainer concurring with OPR’s findings. Despite both OPR and Inspector Garner concluding Byrd violated USCP policy, an appeal to the Disciplinary Review Board subsequently overruled OPR’s findings and ruled that Byrd did not violate USCP policy. As a result, this incident is reflected as “not sustained” on Byrd’s OPR record.
Loudermilk also mentioned a 2015 incident at a football game in Montgomery County, MD, where Byrd called an Montgomery County Police Officer, tasked with preventing people from entering the field, a “piece of shit, asshole, and racist.” Byrd was suspended for seven days following this incident.
In 2019, Byrd left his loaded service weapon in a House Chambers section restroom for approximately 55 minutes before another officer discovered it. Byrd would end up being suspended for 33 days over that instance.
Shockingly, Loudermilk disclosed three other referrals to the OPR against Byrd. Those records are reportedly missing.
Equity, not Equality
Lt. Byrd appears to have been treated differently from his fellow officers. USCP helped Byrd setup a GoFundMe in November 2021 that helped raise $164,000 for the disgraced officer.
The “security upgrades” for Byrd’s home mentioned previously would set the USCP back $21,000. While the security upgrades were being made, USCP put Byrd up in local hotels and the Distinguished Visitors Quarters at Joint Base Andrews.
He was also provided with a USCP Dignitary Protection Detail when he left the secure base.
USCP instructed Byrd to skip over his Fitness For Duty evaluation after January 6th, 2021 over concerns that he would fail and no longer be permitted to carry his service weapon.
In September 2021, Byrd attempted to buy a shotgun for his own personal protection, however, he failed the background check required under federal law.
After seeking assistance from USCP to resolve the background check issue, they were going to simply issue him a USCP shotgun. However, Byrd failed his shotgun proficiency exam and was ultimately not provided with the firearm.
After being placed on administrative leave following Jan. 6, 2021 and ending June 2021, the USCP signed a telework agreement with Byrd in July 2021, allowing him to telework five days a week.
Still, Byrd did not return to work. Not only was he not disciplined for this, but USCP retroactively put him on Administrative Leave for the days he didn’t work in July and August 2021.
If you recall, former USCP Assistant Chief Yogananda Pittman was placed on Administrative Leave so she could reach her retirement time-in-service requirements while she was working as the Chief of Police at the UC Berkeley making $283,000 per year.
Loudermilk ends his letter to Chief Manger by requesting “the preservation of all digital records, including emails, text messages, other chat messages, calendars, notes, and files for:
• Captain Michael Byrd’s cell phone, email account, computer, or any other electronic device issued by USCP from January 1, 2021, through January 1, 2024;
• Copies of all documents prepared by USCP summarizing actions taken by USCP on behalf of then-Lt. Byrd such as the one attached, dated November 18, 2021. Please also indicate the date such documents were shared, the names of the Members or individuals it was shared with, and any digital records such as emails referencing such documents, including drafting and transmittal.”
Now-Captain Michael Byrd, according to Rep. Loudermilk, has:
- recklessly discharged his firearm at a fleeing vehicle and lied about it to investigators
- accused a police officer of being “racist” at a high school football game after a heated encounter
- left his service weapon for almost an hour in a public restroom in a US Capitol restroom (a gun-free environment)
- has three missing referrals to the OPR that just disappeared
- and shot an unarmed 5’1 Air Force veteran crawling through a window by herself with several officers in the background to back him up in detaining her
As a result, Byrd has received:
- a promotion to Captain
- $36,000 in retention bonuses (compared to $3,000 for all other officers)
- $164,000 in a USCP-set up GoFundMe
- $21,000 in security upgrades
- lodging at the Distinguished Visitors Quarters at Joint Base Andrews
- a USCP-issued shotgun for take home personal defense (never received because he failed proficiency testing)
- a 5-day a week telework agreement (for which he failed to comply with and was subsequently given retroactive Administrative Leave for that period)
- Instructions to skip Fitness for Duty Evaluations for fear of failing and thus not being permitted to carry a firearm
- an internal request to fellow officers to donate their Annual Leave to Byrd
Captain’ Byrd’s treatment raises questions about whether it reflects preferential treatment or efforts to ensure his cooperation regarding sensitive matters related to January 6th.
