The Capitol police officer who fatally shot Trump supporter Ashli Babbitt has a long record of concerning incidents involving firearm safety, Just The News reported. 

During the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, officer Michael Byrd shot Babbitt, an unarmed Air Force veteran, dead as she attempted to climb through a broken window.

Byrd was cleared of any wrongdoing by Capitol Police, who said he acted reasonably to neutralize a threat. Yet, Byrd showed poor judgment in a series of incidents long before he encountered Babbitt.

Impulsive cop

The incidents were detailed in a letter from House Administration Oversight Subcommittee chair Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) to Capitol Police.

In 2004, Byrd was written up for firing his service pistol carelessly while off-duty during a carjacking outside his home. A neighbor was in the line of fire.

Byrd told police that he fired at an oncoming vehicle as it tried to strike him. But the bullet hole was found near the gas cap. This led to the conclusion that Byrd was shooting from behind at vehicles that had already passed him by.

Investigators found he "improperly discharged his service weapon while his neighbor was in the line of fire and after both stolen vehicles had passed by him," Loudermilk noted. A disciplinary review board later overturned the finding.

An internal report obtained by Just the News said that Byrd was facing charges of First Degree Assault, but the prosecutor dropped the case and found he exhibited “bad judgement."

Byrd was suspended for seven days without pay in 2015 after a verbal altercation at a high school football game. Byrd, who is black, used "obscene" and "abusive" language towards a cop who he called a "racist a---."

Poor judgment

In 2019, Byrd infamously left his loaded service gun in a public bathroom at the Capitol. The pistol was abandoned for 55 minutes before another officer found it. Byrd was suspended for 33 days without pay.

House investigators also identified three additional Capitol Police incidents involving Byrd, but the corresponding records were "missing."

Despite a long history of disciplinary problems and his role in killing Babbitt, Capitol Police decided to promote Byrd to Captain last year. It's part of a pattern of apparently preferential treatment Byrd received, particularly since January 6th, which led to a rise in threats against him.

For example, in September 2021, Byrd failed a federally required background check to purchase a shotgun for his personal protection. He sought help from Capitol Police, which offered a department-issued shotgun in case the background check "did not come through.” Byrd failed the shotgun training anyway and did not receive the shotgun.

Byrd publicly defended himself for his role in shooting Babbitt in a 2021 NBC interview with Lester Holt.

"I believe I showed utmost courage on January 6, and it's time for me to do that now," he said at the time.