On Thursday, as part of a new interview revealing himself to the public, Capitol Police officer Michael Byrd, who was responsible for shooting insurrectionist Ashli Babbitt, opened up about the hate and threats he has received from far-right activists who guessed his identity.
"In the days after Jan. 6, Byrd's name leaked out in right-wing media and online forums. Then came the threats," reported Rich Schapiro, Anna Schecter and Chelsea Damberg. "'They talked about killing me, cutting off my head,' Byrd said, adding that there were also racist attacks. 'It's all disheartening, because I know I was doing my job.'"
Byrd said that he just couldn't understand why he'd become such a target when he was protecting the lives of members of Congress.
"Sometimes, you can't do anything but cry," Byrd said. "You felt like you did your job. You helped protect our legislative leaders of this country and you fought for democracy and keeping them established."
Ashli Babbitt, who was shot while trying to crawl through a broken window at the Capitol after ignoring police demands to stop her approach, has become a martyr of right-wing extremists. Her cause has even trickled into mainstream GOP politics, with Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) wearing an armband with her name, and President Donald Trump saying she was "murdered."
Byrd has been exonerated by police investigations, which showed he followed proper procedure.
