The mother of Ashli Babbitt — the woman shot dead by Capitol Hill police protecting elected officials on Jan. 6 — was arrested following violence in Washington, D.C.
D.C. Metropolitan Police took Micki Witthoeft into custody shorty before 7 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Daily Beast. She’s accused of “simple assault and destruction of property.”
Video appears to show her menacing a counterprotester outside a jail housing Donald Trump loyalists who joined Babbitt in a 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Their objective on that day was to stop the certification of President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory.
Witthoeft seemingly assaulted a woman carrying a bullhorn and a camera at a Monday rally attended by those sympathetic to jailed Trump supporters, as well as citizens condemning their crimes. The woman identified as Witthoeft by the Daily Beast follows an “anti-fascist organizer,” shoving her from behind and taunting the woman before taking her bullhorn and spiking it in the street.
The protester is then confronted by another apparent Jan. 6 apologist, to whom she says “You’re going to go to jail again” as sirens blare.
Police intervened Monday night but didn’t immediately apprehend Witthoeft.
The 58-year-old suspect was last arrested by U.S. Capitol police in January for “illegally blocking traffic” during a demonstration commemorating the second anniversary of her daughter’s death.
Babbitt died while attempting to make her way onto the House floor during the Jan. 6 uprising. A police lieutenant briefly repelled Trump loyalists with a single shot that killed Babbitt as she led the charge against sheltering lawmakers. An investigation cleared the officer of any wrongdoing.
Trump has insisted since November 2020 he was cheated out of an electoral win. Prosecutors have charged more than 1,000 people in connection to the assault on the Capitol.
———