Rep. Dean ‘Was Staggered To Learn It Was Lt. Byrd’ Who Defended House Chamber

NBC News’ Lester Holt revelation of the identity of U.S. Capitol Police Officer Lt. Michael Byrd as the defender of House Chamber on Jan. 6 moves Rep. Madeleine Dean, who thanks him for his service. Lt. Byrd, who has been under attack from many conservatives, likely saved the lives of many lawmakers when he fatally shot Capitol insurrectionist Ashli Babbitt as she tried to breach the Speaker’s Lobby, yards from where members of Congress were evacuating.

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102 comments

    1. @Larinda Nomikos yes. They smashed through a barricade and she was climbing through as an officer said to stop and shot her.

      If a black liberal was doing it you all would defend the cop

    2. How is it a defense: when we have dozens of videos showing the Cops stepping and standing aside at the entrance to the Capital? Lmaoooooooooooooo. We got the proof. They were all let in.

  1. Republicans in the house should have been sent to ‘welcome’ those screaming, “hang Mike Pence” since they believed they posed no threats and were tourists.

    1. @Scott Covert Of course you don’t Sparky , face it , you just aren’t too bright , and then there is your obvious myopia …

    2. @wee huddy Well explain your issue with the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest on January 6th so I can better understand your position.

    3. 5 people were killed, and Thousands are in US Gulags as we speak, what are you talking about? We are the U S S A.

    4. 🙄Look at all the anti-American, anti-democracy Russian trolls in the comments. Gotta make those rubles, huh?

    1. @David Hale So are you saying that Byrd’s action wasn’t police brutality or that all the events that BLM are claiming is actually police brutality?

    2. “killing anyone in the line of succession”

      I’m kicking myself for not realizing earlier what they were up to.
      This is truly terrifying.
      In light of this, the amount of restraint officers exercized is unbelievable.

  2. Trump said when the looting starts the shooting starts. Now he’s trying to get the Police officer executed for protecting the Capitol and doing his Duty.

    1. I truly can’t understand these lame attempts at trolling. The right can’t troll any better than this? Tyler Dawson and Bill. Im talking to you. Just give it up boy’s and get a new hobby you are both terrible at this. I know its hard to contend with facts and knowledge but you guy’s don’t even seem like you believe what you are saying. How are you supposed to “own the libs’ this way. 1 star rating- not even an interesting read. Do not reccomend. (Yawn).

    2. @Cassandra Lord actually not trying to own anyone ,but merely point out a different point of view rather than fake news media where even the fbi disproves what happened jan 6th now how about that biden genocide in afghan or the children drowning in the rio grande.

  3. To this day I’m amazed that more people didn’t die, the cop’s were under a huge amount of stress & confusion about what was happening, those police officers did an excellent job, Rj in Oz

    1. Since everyone keeps throwing this word around, I thought I’d define it n give ppl a chance to edit their posts. Murder is defined as the unlawful premeditated killing of one human being by another. Nobody murdered Ashli.

  4. To underestimate the actions of these thugs, Babbit included, would have been foolish. All those officers were doing their job period.

  5. I watched this happen in real time. Just before the officer fired his weapon Ashli Babbitt’s feet had left the door. The moment after her feet left her perch on the door and her body, free from the door, physically entered the vestibule of the chamber of the House, the officer fired his weapon and the force of the bullet propelled her back through the doorway and to the other side. Had he not fired his weapon she would have landed on the floor inside and having done so many more would have followed. They were enraged with an incorrect “truth” built on calculated lies, and cunning planning by a coward who was using them as his last ditch effort to effect a self-coup.

    Ashli Babbitt chose to become a member of a violent mob intent on harming and killing members of Congress and of the Executive Branch that day. Ashli Babbitt, a military veteran who swore a sacred oath, not to one man or to one political party, but to the Constitution of the United States of America, made a conscious decision to violate that oath the moment she chose to become the domestic threat to the Constitution and with that action nullified any prior honorable service she’d performed while in uniform. However it was her decision to take charge by leading the violent mob in breeching the last barrier between them and the elected officials they sought to harm that cost her her life and allowed a once honorable soldier to die in a state of dishonor. The fault lies with the coward who sent them there. He is the one who sought death and destruction and he is the one who killed Ashli Babbitt. The officer fired his weapon to protect lives.

    1. @#YOUdon’thavetoreadthispost. hehe, you said ‘fuselage’, when you meant to say ‘fusillade’ (sorry!)

    2. The cop that shot her is a hero. He saved Democracy that day. History will be kind to him and harsh to those who are trying to tarnish him. God bless him.

    3. @#YOUdon’thavetoreadthispost. but we all knew what you mean, and I agree. I thought this officer demonstrated amazing discernment in the midst of what looked like stressful circumstances.

    4. @John Dalgleish That threw me off at first as well, lol. That said, anyone who uses a word like that in context, I give them credit for a bad autocorrect.

    1. @Jayy Forrest First hand observation from a CBS News reporter named William Shirer, who was assigned to Germany from about 1931 until he was expelled from the country (along with all other Western reporters) in 1940. He wrote all about it in a book entitled “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich” which is required reading for anybody studying Nazism.

  6. The question is not “Who shot Ashli Babbitt?”

    It’s “Who sent Ashli Babbit in to get shot?”

    1. Trump is fully responsible. As much as he hates to take responsibility. Trump is the reason Ashli Babbitt is dead. Ask any of the arrested insurrectionists, who sent them!

    2. @vondernacht
      That’s what a loyal trumpist would say…..by the way, do you have orange colored lips too?

      It was no clickbait, it was fact.

  7. As soon as the shot rang out and her body fell to the floor, every insurectionists near that door – including that i diot who started the glass breaking, dropped down on the floor in total surrender. They were the first criminals taken into custody by the capitol police. Well done, Officer Byrd!

    1. It all makes sense when you remember this. Putins poodle Trump, has been doing his masters bidding. Putin at this present moment is rubbing his hands in glee, aware that his master plan to ruin America and spread distrust has worked. Americans fighting each other, belief in the same science that launched the Apollo missions completely gone! All down to Putins poodle, Trump.

    2. @Quarky Chick

      “Trump abandoned the Kurds to ISIS, in Syria”. No that was Obama. Trump destroyed ISIS and killed their leader Al Badadi. That is why there is no ISIS in Syria today…. Nice Try though.

      “Trump made this deal with the Taliban, handing Afghanistan over to them, by the end of August.”
      Firstly, he was talking to them, but nothing was set in stone. Secondly who is the president right now? Creep Biden. That’s right.

      This mess is Biden’s fault, 100%. Biden canceled the Xcell pipeline, stopped to border wall, and ended the ban on CRT. Theses were all TRUMP initiatives. If Biden can reverse these 3 initiatives by TRUMP, why couldn’t he change the Afghanistan evacuation plan?

      That’s the problem with you Libards. If you didn’t have double standards, you would have no standards at all.

  8. In the Washington Post video the attackers clearly shout, “He’s got a gun!” There is no doubt they knew it was there.

    1. @Donald Trump How typical, you try and attack my intelligence instead of responding to what was clearly written. You seem to be the only person with a comprehension problem bc I’ve received no other complaints. You proved my point w yr response n don’t even see it.
      Have a great day Donald.

    2. @Maghen Shaw How typical, ignore my advice and continue to write with terrible comprehension. No matter, I’ll waste my time and respond to what was not very clearly written. I wouldn’t call spewing unfinished and half cocked trains of thought clearly laid out, but you’re entitled to wrong opinions.

      Donald Trump wasn’t in direct control of the people peacefully protesting who were let in the building, but he was definitely in charge, which was why he requested to deploy the national guard, which Nancy Pelosi refused, leaving the terribly incompetent white house security in charge.

      The glass was broken before the armed guards showed up to make sure there was no violence, which there wasn’t until Byrd executed Babbitt, who was maybe starting to look like a potential threat, but was still easily able to be arrested instead.

      The fact that you don’t know the exact sequence of events further cements my theory you haven’t watched unedited Capitol footage, and only the incredibly edited segments the news posts. The officers standing directly behind Babbitt could have easily arrested her. But before they could have a chance to even punish her for her actions, she was gunned down by incompetent Byrd, known for leaving his gun in the Capitol bathroom unattended MORE THAN ONCE.

      Heavily edited segments, without context, makes it look like this crowd is trying to break in. But if you watch the full video, you realize police let these people inside.

    3. @Donald Trump That is full of such nonsense that I’m not going to waste my time. You are a lost cause my friend. I know what happened that day bc my cousin is a Capitol police officer. You ended your rant with a lie. He left his firearm unattended once, owned up to it, was penalized and moved on. ONCE. You proved yourself to be uninformed from the beginning until the very end. Good day. Oh wait. You may think my opinions are wrong, but you aren’t allowed to alter facts.

    1. @bombastic attitude I wholeheartedly agree! The Whitehouse needs to hire some people from the hood. That would have played out a lot differently and it wouldn’t have lasted very long. These types know where to go and who to terrorize. They don’t dare go into certain neighborhoods. If they do….it’s a wrap!

    2. @Aquatic Highs
      Well, it’s pretty apparent you don’t know what violence is. Let me help you out. “Violence” is a word… which means it has a definition. Words are like that.

      vi·​o·​lence :

      the use of physical force so as to injure, abuse, damage, or destroy.

      And in order to get to the place where Ashli Babbit was shot, she and the others with her had to injure and abuse law enforcement officers, and damage and destroy Federal Property.

      Glad I could help you out with that.

    3. @52ponybike Re: your comment vis a vis Trumpo and one electric chair: I can’t speak to what Trumpo et al deserve here in the modern age. Life in prison sounds better than the chair, IMO. That said I’d have no problem if that’s what justice demands. I do know this: the founders of this great nation, faced with the mountain of evidence we all saw and heard with our own eyes and ears, would’ve seen the instigators, the inciters, those that gave the orders to launch this failed coup attempt, they would’ve held a speedy trial and hanged them all in the center of town (Trumpo, Trumpo Jr., Giuliani, and Mo Brooks). Probably before spring!

    4. @A Mile in My Shoes you can literally as in literally go watch police officers let them in. Literally you can see videos of that.

    1. I’ve questioned why the full-autos weren’t brought out when they began trying to breach the Chamber.

    2. I’ve heard it said that Capitol police were told to stand down and not use fire under any circumstances. The question is…by whom?

  9. When someone gets shot by police “well they should of listened”

    Jan 6th “we should look in to who shot Ashley”…maybe she should of listened to police

    1. @SamuraiGeekDesigns LOL! “Rabid Insurrectionists….” who didn’t bring a single gun with them.
      Maybe next time…

    2. @tryingnothard Or a Demokkkrat like Robert Byrd. The unrepentant grand cyclops the DNC forced Obama to eulogize. His statue is still up, BTW.

    3. @ItNeeds2BSaid Since you feel that way, why don’t you go to the Capitol right now, crash the windows, break in without proper authorization and see what happens. I guarantee that you won’t live to tell your story. Now try it.

  10. As trump said to the soldiers he killed, “They knew what they signed up for.”

    Ashli Babbett knew what she signed up for too. She died in vain listening to a liar.

    I feel for everyone getting harmed because of trumps words and actions…

    Bless them all Lord for they have strayed and are lost.

    1. Very good point Organic Planet. “They knew what they signed up for.” However, Donald Trump’s own quote here doesn’t apply, because it doesn’t suit his current LIES!

    2. when a hit man is sent to do a ‘job’ the hit man, and the one who sent them are both criminally liable.

  11. Here’s the real question:

    Why would ANYONE think they could break into a US government building and stop official proceedings using violence…And NOT get shot by police?

    1. @Jim becker Everything is too tribal now…….the right absolutely knows that shooting was justified….they should have done a lot worse……but now the Trumpism is so rabid they HAVE to tow the line or get eaten by their own creation

    1. They erected a gallows. They were deadly serious. Im so grateful that the police protected our democracy. Who knows how different things could be? The true patriots of that day are the D.C. and Capitol PD. No doubt about it.

    2. They also BUILT a Gallows too- do NOT forget that– they brought the materials and did the work!!!! They meant business! DEATH!!!!

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