During the Jan. 6 Capitol riot of 2021, Capitol Police Officer Michael Byrd shot and killed pro-Trump protester Ashli Babbitt inside the besieged building, and since then he has been promoted and hailed as a hero by Democrats and the media for firing that fatal shot.

Yet, a Republican-led House subcommittee is asking questions about Byrd's promotion after an investigation uncovered a substantial record of multiple internal disciplinary and even criminal referrals for Byrd for a series of department policy violations, according to Just the News.

The probe also seemingly uncovered evidence that Byrd, apart from other USCP officers who were on duty during the Jan. 6 riot, was singled out by department officials for special treatment that was not similarly extended to anybody else.

Byrd hailed as a hero, promoted by USCP

On Jan. 6, 2021, then-Lt. Byrd shot and killed the unarmed Babbitt as she attempted to cross through a barricaded doorway inside the Capitol building. Notably, Byrd is the only officer to fire his service weapon that day, despite hundreds of other officers facing arguably more extreme and immediate threats from other protesters and violent rioters.

In August 2021, an internal investigation by USCP's Office of Professional Responsibility concluded that Byrd's actions were "lawful" and a reasonable use of lethal force for which he would not face any internal discipline.

Fast-forward two years, and Roll Call reported in August 2023 that Byrd would be promoted from lieutenant to captain, one of just 30 officers selected to move up in the ranks, likely because of the narrative in place about his purportedly heroic actions during the Capitol riot -- a narrative that many Americans thoroughly disagree with.

Concerns raised over "Byrd’s lengthy disciplinary history" and other issues

The decision to promote Officer Byrd has prompted a series of pointed questions from the House Administration Committee's Subcommittee on Oversight Chairman Barry Loudermilk (R-GA), which he outlined in a recent letter to USCP Chief Thomas Manger.

"The Subcommittee is aware that the USCP recently promoted Michael Byrd from Lieutenant to Captain. I have concerns about this decision given Byrd’s lengthy disciplinary history and the apparent political influence of internal operational decisions related to Byrd following January 6, 2021," Loudermilk wrote. "While I recognize that many of the concerning incidents related to Captain Byrd occurred before you became Chief of Police, Captain
Byrd did receive significant favorable treatment by USCP after you became Chief of Police in 2021."

The first of those concerning incidents was one that occurred in 2004 when then-Sgt. Byrd fired his weapon at two stolen vehicles while off-duty in his suburban neighborhood. Per an internal investigation, Byrd claimed that he shot toward the vehicles as they approached and threatened to strike him, but investigators determined that he fired his weapon after the vehicles had already past him and endangered a neighbor who was standing outside and in his line of fire.

Byrd was recommended for discipline for discharging his weapon in a "careless and imprudent manner," but that determination was later overturned on appeal.

Other disciplinary matters and apparent favorable treatment

According to Chairman Loudermilk's letter, Officer Byrd was again referred to USCP's OPR for discipline following a 2015 incident in which he verbally and explicitly accosted a Montgomery County police officer in public while off-duty at a high school football game in Maryland -- for which he was ultimately suspended for a week without pay for engaging in "conduct unbecoming" of an officer.

Just a few years later, in 2019, Byrd was suspended for more than a month without pay after leaving his service weapon unattended in a public bathroom at the Capitol Visitor's Center, and the chairman wrote, "USCP records indicate three additional USCP OPR referrals against Byrd; however, the records related to these investigations are reportedly missing. This is disappointing, as the inability to locate these documents hinders the Subcommittee from fulfilling its responsibility to conduct comprehensive oversight over the USCP."

Loudermilk also expressed concerns over apparent preferential treatment for Byrd in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, including the provision of a larger retention bonus than other officers received; assistance in setting up and managing a GoFundMe account on his behalf; an attempt to provide him with a department-issued shotgun after he failed a background check to purchase one, only for him to fail a shotgun proficiency test; and being permitted to take an extended leave of absence until Dec. 2021 despite being ordered to return to work in July 2021, among other things.

Before outlining his dozens of questions for Chief Manger, the congressman concluded, "This Subcommittee is dedicated to ensuring USCP has autonomy from political pressures so it can make operational and personnel decisions that are in the best interest of the USCP and the Capitol community. However, based on the information obtained by the Subcommittee regarding USCP’s handling of Captain Byrd following January 6, 2021, and his significant disciplinary history, I have concerns about USCP’s decision to promote him to the rank of Captain."