The U.S. Capitol Police officer who shot dead an unarmed woman inside the Capitol on Jan. 6 on Thursday defended his actions, claiming he issued verbal warnings before opening fire.
Capitol Police Lt. Michael Byrd said he shot Ashli Babbitt as she tried to climb through a broken window into the Speaker’s Lobby, adjacent to the House chamber, because he feared she and others inside the building would get into the chamber, where Congress members were hiding after the Capitol was breached.
