Thread by @TaylerUSA

Three years ago at 2:44PM, I watched an unarmed woman (Ashli Babbitt)— get shot and killed in front of me.

This single handily changed my life forever. Even though it’s been three years, it feels like it was just yesterday. The J6th committee refused to speak with me.

🧵

January 6th, 2021, started like any other day of Reporting. I woke up early and planned to conduct interviews and to document what was taking place.

I anticipated violence from Left-Wing groups due to the pattern I had seen emerge at prior Trump rallies once it got dark.

Around 12:20PM, I heard someone gathering a group to “head to the Capitol”.

Trump was still speaking so I found it odd, so naturally, I followed.

Later on, I would find out this was Ray Epps as well as other key actors.

The Ellipse is 1.6 mi away from the Capitol, it takes around 30-33 minutes via walk.

Trump began addressing the crowd at 11:58AM, and made his final remarks at 1:12PM.

Capitol Grounds were breached 19 minutes prior to Trump’s speech concluding.

I arrived outside the Capitol at 12:50PM, within 3 minutes, the initial barrier which had under 7 officers standing post was overwhelmed.

The second barrier went down within the same minute, this time it was Ray Epps who visibly spoke to Ryan Samsel and others right before.

For a while, all was calm and peaceful. Then a concussion grenade was thrown deep into what was a peaceful crowd. This caused an eruption within the crowd.

The crowd surged due to those in the back not understanding what was happening, pushing others forward consistently.

For over an hour, a continuous barrage of concussion grenades, tear gas, pepper spray, and other crowd munitions were deployed on the crowd.

This affected thousands of people, most of whom had no idea what was going on and hadn’t been violent at all.

I was hit by multiple rubber munitions and maced into absolute oblivion, even while wearing visible Press Credentials.

The Police were 10x more aggressive than I have ever seen at any riot I covered in 2020.

For over an hour this went on, during this barrage Kevin Greeson and Benjamin Phillips both suffered fatal heart attacks from the munitions being thrown. (Munitions we’re not authorized to be used on the 6th)

People were on fire and had holes blown in them at this point.

https://twitter.com/taylerusa/status/1427397396066144265

After an Officer pushed Derrick Vargo off of the inaugural stairs, breaking his legs, the Officer taunted the crowd below who were visibly upset. This caused a crowd to surge up the staircase which eventually arrived at the Western doors of the Capitol.

The Police then stood back and watched as people broke windows with a two by four and riot shield.

Those who broke the windows of the Capitol on the West Side were initially placed on an FBI wanted list, only to be taken off.

They of course, have not been charged.

Once inside the building it was a weird scene, people wandering aimlessly not really understanding where to go or what to do.

Almost everyone had their phones out and were recording, many were singing songs and chanting “stop the steal”.

I eventually followed a line of people up a spiral staircase which led me to a rotunda.

There was a small line of Police present initially and it quickly took a turn, tear gas was deployed, and a few people within the crowd began pushing the officers back.

The rotunda quickly became jam packed with people, like outside, there was what I would describe as a crowd surge. People in the back pushing so those in the front had no choice but to advance.

I saw multiple people escort police forward so they did not get caught in the surge.

Eventually I ended up outside the Speakers doors, alongside the ‘Q Shaman’, Podium Man, and others.

This is where police negotiated (on video) with the crowd claiming that if protesters remained calm and peaceful they would be allowed to “sit in” on the session.

Obviously this was not the case but it was tried anyways. This calmed the crowd quite a bit for a few minutes, until Zachary Alam and a few other people in the crowd begin to scream and get loud.

At this point only about 3 officers were standing in front of the lobby.

Officers moved and that’s when a large crowd formed against the door of the speakers chamber.

After minutes of nothing happening I noticed Ashli B walking left, so I followed. I walked down the hallway behind her and turned left into a room where a large G.W. portrait hanged.

This was the room seen on John Sullivans stream where he broke the window.

I turned around and walked straight out of the room, once again seeing Ashli Babbitt and deciding to follow her.

She was on her phone and didn’t seem to know where she was either.

At this point Ashli and I were walking side by side, and we passed a calm SGT at Arms employee who was on his phone.

I asked him how he was doing and he said good.

Ashli and I were the first to arrive at the doors in the speakers hallway, I offered Officer Yetter water.

https://twitter.com/TaylerUSA/status/1483566413583376387

Ashli talked with the Officers briefly, then the room began to fill up quickly.

John Sullivan reached the front of the crowd by telling others he “had a knife”.

Zachary Alam became erratic and started breaking windows, this is where everything really took a turn.

Something that is extremely unreported about those moments is the fact that Ashli Babbitt tried to physically stop Zachary Alam after the officers standing in front of the doors shifted over.

She physically grabbed him, pulled him, and landed a punch in an attempt to stop him.

https://twitter.com/TaylerUSA/status/1539396257982054400

Ashli Babbitt did not break anything, she tried to stop those attacking the barriers multiple times.

To this day I wish I could have done more after she was shot, anyone who has seen someone die in a violent manner understands this.

The CERT team was entering the room atm.

Michael Byrd claims he shot Ashli because CERT had not arrived, they were present in the room and were moving forward to de escalate. They did not feel the need to shoot anyone or to resort to violence.

Michael Byrd became trigger happy and shot an unarmed woman posing no threat

What I witnessed on the 6th was Government sanctioned murder. The Media immediately reported inaccurately on what happened and spun a false narrative, labeling Ashli a terrorist.

No real investigation was made into Byrd, instead he profited over $164,000 from killing Ashli.

The Committee refused to talk to me even though I offered testimony and video.

@AdamKinzinger and others did not seriously “investigate” what took place. Instead, he donated to Michael Byrds GoFundMe.

My prayers are with those affected by violence on todays anniversary.

Two years*