Mother of Ashli Babbitt, slain Jan. 6 rioter, arrested on anniversary of Capitol attack
Ella LeeWASHINGTON — The mother of slain Jan. 6 rioter Ashli Babbitt was arrested in D.C. on Friday, on the two-year anniversary of the violent assault on the U.S. Capitol that resulted in her daughter's death.
Micki Witthoeft, 58, was arrested and charged with two traffic violations including failing to obey Capitol Police orders and illegally blocking traffic, U.S. Capitol Police said in a press release.
Video footage of Witthoeft's arrest shows Capitol Police officers telling her and other protestors to move to the "sidewalk now, or you're under arrest." Witthoeft then turns around and places her hands behind her back. Capitol Police wrote in the press release that Witthoeft "asked to be arrested."
Witthoeft was processed, given a citation to appear in court and released Friday afternoon, as is "typical for this charge," police said.
Babbitt, 35, was shot while attempting to breach the House chamber on Jan. 6, 2021. Graphic videos of the shooting show the military veteran wore a Trump flag as a cape while attempting to crawl through a broken window, flanked by other protesters. A single shot rang out, and she fell to the floor bleeding from an apparent neck wound.
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Lt. Michael Byrd, the Capitol Police officer who fatally shot Babbitt, was cleared of wrongdoing after an internal review by the agency found his actions were "consistent with the officer’s training and (U.S. Capitol Police) policies."
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The riot left several others dead and dozens of police officers injured. In the two years since the assault, nearly 1,000 rioters have been arrested.
Contributing: Dennis Wagner, Melissa Daniels, Grace Hauck