‘I was there to honor my daughter’
The mother of Ashli Babbitt—Micki Witthoeft—was detained near the U.S. Capitol on Friday afternoon and was charged with violating two Capitol traffic regulations.
The detainment took place during a demonstration on the second anniversary of the death of Babbitt and three other Americans on Jan. 6, 2021. Witthoeft, 58, told The Epoch Times she was there to honor her daughter, who died two years ago after being shot by U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) Lt. Michael Byrd.
WARNING: This is actual footage of Officer Michael Byrd shooting an unarmed Ashli Babbitt.
Witthoeft was arrested around 1:45 p.m. local time by officers from the U.S. Capitol Police and charged with having violated two traffic regulations (pdf)—§16.3.20 Obey An Order, and §16.3.40 Blocking And Obstructing Roadways, the USCP announced in a release.
“As is typical for this charge, Ms. Witthoeft was processed and released this afternoon after being given a citation to appear in court at a later date,” the USCP stated.
The USCP stated that the group “did not have a permit to demonstrate on Capitol Grounds.”
“Officers established a clear police line to prevent the group from moving further west on Independence Avenue, SW,” per the release. “The officers and officials told the group to get out of the road or the group would be arrested. The sidewalk was open.”
The USCP said that Witthoeft was “given multiple warnings to get out of the road,” but instead of doing so, she “refused to leave, turned around with her hands behind her back, and asked to be arrested.”
‘I Was There to Honor My Daughter’
Witthoeft told The Epoch Times that she and the group saw the Capitol grounds had been fenced off.
“They were letting people in but they would not let us in because we had flags, so I chose to walk down the street that was blocked off, with my flags,” she recounted.
“When we turned the corner, more of the sidewalk was blocked off and our option was to walk on the side fence, or to cross the street where we could not lay flowers. So I chose to walk along the road so I could lay flowers for the four people that died that day—my daughter being one of them.
“When I did not move out of the road, I was arrested and cuffed up by a really angry, aggressive Capitol Police officer, who left wounds on my arm from handcuffing me.”
