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.
FILE – Driver’s license photo of Ashli Babbitt. (Maryland MVA/Courtesy of the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office via AP)
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, said she was there to honor her daughter, who died two years ago after being shot by U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) Lt. Michael Byrd.
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.”
Video posted to Twitter from News2Share producer Ford Fischer showed that Capitol Police Lt. Ryan Schauf was the officer who arrested Witthoeft.
VIDEO: Today while holding a second anniversary march for January 6 around the Capitol, Micki Witthoeft, the mother of Ashli Babbitt, was arrested by Capitol Police Lieutenant Ryan Schauf for refusing to move to the sidewalk.
Video by me @N2Sreports pic.twitter.com/e59iHpqCNx
— Ford Fischer (@FordFischer) January 6, 2023
The video showed that at the time, Witthoeft was holding a rose and was being told to move to the sidewalk. Another woman was with her and was holding a sign with Ashli Babbitt’s name on it. The woman was trying to talk to one of the officers, but the officer told them: “You’re not obeying traffic laws, you can move to the sidewalk or you’re being placed under arrest. … We’re not discussing it. Sidewalk, now, or you’re under arrest, it’s that simple.”
Following the officer’s remarks, Witthoeft was seen handing the rose she was holding to the woman. She then turned her back to the officers and held two hands behind her back, as though ready to be handcuffed.
When asked what she was thinking when she decided to be arrested instead of moving out of the road with the other demonstrators, Witthoeft replied: “I was there to honor my daughter, and they were trying to make that impossible by their barricades and their failure to admit us to the Capitol grounds—and they were admitting everybody around us.
“I just wanted to lay some flowers for my daughter, and for Rosanne, Kevin, and Benjamin.”
“God bless America,” she added. “Free the Jan. 6’ers.”
Four Americans died on Jan. 6, 2021, amid the mayhem that took place that day on Capitol grounds—Babbitt, Rosanne Boyland, Kevin Greeson, and Benjamin Phillips.
Babbitt’s death was ruled a homicide due to the actions of Byrd. The deaths of Greeson and Phillips were determined to be due to natural causes. The death of Boyland was ruled as an accident, but video unsealed in December 2021 showed that she was struck by a police officer prior as she lay unconscious near the Capitol building.
The joint session of Congress on Jan. 6, 2021, was temporarily interrupted when a sizable group of protesters entered the Capitol building and its surrounds. Outside were thousands of other mostly peaceful protesters who had gathered in Washington on the day to express concerns about election integrity.
As of late December, more than 900 individuals have been dealt charges by the Department of Justice, accusing them of having committed federal crimes on Jan. 6, 2021. More than 480 of them have pleaded guilty to one or more charges. Dozens of Americans continue to be held in prison without trial.
“You’re not obeying traffic laws, you can move to the sidewalk or you’re being placed under arrest. … We’re not discussing it. Sidewalk, now, or you’re under arrest, it’s that simple.”
“Following the officer’s remarks, Witthoeft was seen handing the rose she was holding to the woman. She then turned her back to the officers and held two hands behind her back, as though ready to be handcuffed.”
She brought this arrest upon herself, only people of color can disobey police officers, civil or uncivil disobedience and get away with it.
At least Nancy Pelosi’s personal police force didn’t shoot her dead in cold blood like they did her daughter.
This is not your average cop shop. This is a political police force in a very liberal political city hired by Democrats to cater to Democrat politicians.
They could have let this woman stand at the curb with her sign. Killing her daughter should have been enough satisfaction for them but they had a political point to make and they made it.
AND ON the anniversary of her daughter’s death no less..
‘only people of color can disobey police officers, civil or uncivil disobedience and get away with it.”,,,,Just like colorful Hakeen Jeffries can take a sacred ceremony of installing the newly elected Speaker of the house and spent 20 minutes talking about himself, and prevaricating past House history, rewriting the fake Pelosi Successes of two failed impeachments and an open January 6th Pelosi created rebellion, rather than celebrating the guy to took over the Speakership,,,,,and get away with it. If lies were the currency of the night, Jeffries was the richest guy in the audience, right behind Pelosi. He tried to bait McCarty into divisive response, but McCarthy rose above it, as the Republicans rose above them. McCarthy needs to go after the murderer of Ashley Babbitt as one of his top priorities, and secure the release of any and all held in prison without trial. Michael byrd and those like him need to understand that being sheltered under the protection of the Nancy Pelosi’s of this sworld is just as profitable as an honest American expecting her to do the right thing for them. Suffering is always what follows and this one needs to suffer American Justice, now denied to a poor grieving mother.
IF SHE was breaking the laws though, prompting arrest, WHY THEN DID THE COPS NOT DO THE SAME to every damn person in the MULTITUDE OF BLM riots?!?
OH YEA< she's white.
Held in Prison without trial, typical Soviet style secular Socialist tyranny expected from governments run by guys like Putin, not American Presidents like Joe Biden or fearful, corrupted guilt ridden inept Pelosi and Schumer Congressmen, who could and would confuse the American public into thinking that a spontaneous collective January 6th demonstration that carried more the image of an extemporaneously angry Christ-like reaction of overturning the tables of the money changers in the Temple, to be democrat party mendaciously media morphed into an organized false attempt to over throw the government. None were killed on January 6th but the innocent,,,,socially aborted with as much lack of care for humanity, and justice than the 60 million their party of innocence removers have done to our unborn American children. Get in their way as even a slight inconvenience and you just disappear them, Soviet style, even if just a grieving mother looking for justice for her murdered unarmed daughter. Of course the Democrats have to rewrite history to hide their crimes against humanity, and crimes against the American people who are disgusted with their malfeasances and dishonesty in government,,,Democrats fearful of the true justice they deserve of THE PEOPLE coming at them, to give to them the same destruction they get daily from a party of violence and deceptions. Can’t wait to see Schumer, Schiff and Pelosi’s homes and personal papers and tax returns violated Mar-A-Lago style.
That bunch of unmitigated Communist hypocrites in Washington, District of Corruption make Stalin, Hitler and the Mafia look like a bunch of raving amateurs. It would take their father the devil to equal them for sheer unmitigated evil.
John 8:44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
Jesus Christ was speaking to the Pharisees, but he could be addressing the current disgraceful, immoral, demonic Democrats as well.
Stalin would be proud of what OUR govt has become…
“The U.S. Capitol Police”????? The U.S. Capitol “gestapo” is the right word for these clowns.
More like Stasi..
Our infamous Jan 6th Instigative Committee did little, if any, to honor Babbitt—so it stands to reason that if anyone supporting her shows up anywhere near the Cappitol, they will be made a spectacle of. After all, Babbitt was considered collateral damage since she was a part of the “insurrection”—her mother will be guilty by default.
Will her mother be able to skip her court date like the illegal aliens are able to do??
And what’s the bet, THE GUARD WHO murdered Ashli, was one of those AWARDED with a medal by Biden the other day!
There ‘was’ an ‘insurrection’. It occured when the 2020 election was stolen from President Trump and a corrupt, senile, demented puppet was installed in office to enable the agenda of the ‘Deep State’ fascists. Pelosi, FBI, and the Capitol Police used the January 6th ‘entrapment’ event to change the media narrative from the stolen election. The establishment media is still pushing that narrative…
Why didn’t they just shoot Ashley’s mother? They know their would not be any consequences, just say she was trespassing and wango bango life goes on for everyone but the murdered mother & daughter!
Perhaps they will ‘accident her’, in custody…
I think given the bias by the DC authorities she should have taken the wise way out and gone to the curb to make her point; there would still have been ample visibility for the media to document her declaration. I must think her hurt/anger is without measure.
I am still appalled that the ONE shot was fired–by a documented white-hater cop (Lt. Byrd) killing an unarmed white woman causing no visible threat to anyone’s safety. And this guy is still treated as a hero by the Swamp, not a murderer. Had that been a policeman in the South instead of DC the outcry would’ve been deafening.
We have hit close to the bottom of civility.
Wouldn’t have seen this aggressive stance if BLM protesters were in the streets. Of course, patriotic Americans are the lowest of the low in Washington and killing one, like Ashli Babbitt, will make you a hero. The people our federal government fear the most are those who demand accountability, want limited government, and who believe we the people are ultimately in charge. January 6 was a prelude for America’s Tiananmen Square.
IF IT was BLM, the cops would have just walked the other way.