BREAKING: Settlement in Principle Reached in Ashli Babbitt Lawsuit – The Young Woman Gunned Down Without Warning in the US Capitol on Jan. 6 |

On Friday, it was announced that a preliminary settlement has been reached in the wrongful death lawsuit filed against the U.S. government by the family of Ashli Babbitt.

Judicial Watch has been at the forefront of this legal battle, representing the Babbitt family for an extended period.

has provided comprehensive coverage of this case since its initiation in January 2024.

The lawsuit paints a troubling portrait of the incompetence surrounding Officer Michael Byrd, the Capitol Police officer who fatally shot Babbitt. It highlights a troubling history marked by multiple revocations of his firearm privileges due to dangerous incidents.

Among the allegations are claims that Byrd failed to complete mandatory semiannual firearms qualification and left a “loaded Glock 22 – the very weapon he used to kill Ashli Babbitt – in a bathroom at the Capitol Visitor Center,” as well as a reckless shooting incident involving a moving vehicle stolen by teenagers, during which he reportedly struck nearby homes with his bullets.

“Lt. Byrd had garnered a reputation among his colleagues for his lack of marksmanship prowess,” asserts the lawsuit.

With the third anniversary of January 6 approaching, Judicial Watch has filed a $30 million wrongful death lawsuit against the federal government regarding the Capitol Police shooting of Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt.

The Washington Examiner reports that the suit, filed on behalf of Babbitt’s estate and her husband, Aaron Babbitt, alleges that the officer who shot Babbitt was “incompetent” and “dangerous,” failing to recognize that she posed no threat to Congressional safety when she entered the House Speaker’s lobby.

Kyle Cheney from Politico shared the news on X this Friday afternoon.

A former attorney for the family of Ashli Babbitt, shot and killed by a Capitol Police officer while climbing through a window near the House chamber on Jan. 6, says a national journalist informed him yesterday a financial settlement has been reached. https://t.co/8pEgmubdEt pic.twitter.com/pWRqjIYQUs

— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) May 2, 2025