ASHLI Babbitt's mother said that she would have "chained her to a chair" if she'd known she was going to get killed at the Capitol riot.

In an exclusive interview with The Sun, Micki Witthoeft said her daughter had spent the holidays last year in Cabo and she was unaware Babbitt planned to attend the Donald Trump rally in Washington, DC, on January 6.

"If I knew she was going to be killed, I would've chained her to a chair," Witthoeft said.

"But I would never talk my daughter out of doing something she believed in. She had a right to be at the rally," she added.

She said that she believed her daughter, who was shot by a police officer as Trump supporters broke into the Capitol building last year, was a "proud patriot," who was killed while "exercising her first amendment right."

The First Amendment protects the right to free speech in the US, however, a threat of violence is not protected under this law.

The US Supreme Court said that threats of violence are exempt from the First Amendment as it protects "individuals from the fear of violence, from the disruption that fear engenders, and from the possibility that the threatened violence will occur."

The group storming the Capitol that day was also trespassing on federal property.

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Witthoeft gathered outside Capitol buildings with friends on Thursday and held a picture of her daughter as she claimed that the cop who shot Babbitt should be "held accountable."

Babbit, 35, was among the hundreds of people who swarmed the Capitol on January 6 in an attempt to prevent Joe Biden from being certified as president.

She was the only person killed by a cop during the chaos. 

Three others died of medical emergencies during the rush. 

Capitol police officer Brian Sicknick also died the following day after he was assaulted by two men during the attack.

A medical examiner said he died of natural causes, however.

BABBITT'S FAMILY WANTS ANSWERS

Since her daughter's death last year, Witthoeft has said she wants answers and the family announced it would sue the Capitol police for $10million in damages.

It came after police chiefs said the cop who shot Babbitt, who they initially were not identifying, would not face prosecution.

Lieutenant Michael Leroy Byrd, 53, came forward in an interview last August and named himself as the officer involved.

Witthoeft said that she misses her daughter and wants to see Byrd face some consequences.

"I love and miss my daughter. This country needs to stand up for my daughter," Witthoeft said.

"Michael Byrd needs to be held accountable."

Wearing American flag sunglasses, Witthoeft prayed as she stood with her daughter's picture on Thursday.

"Jan 6 Patriots. God has his hands on you. Don't lose faith," the group said.

"There's so much wrong in our country … Lord, please just show us the way."

Witthoeft added that there was "no insurrection in my daughter's heart or in the hearts of anyone there that day."

Babbit was shot in the chest by Byrd as she attempted to climb through a broken window in a door within the Capitol building to get closer to lawmakers voting to certify Joe Biden's presidential win inside.

Video footage captured the sound of the gunshot and showed the woman crumpling to the floor from multiple angles.

After the shot was fired, a protester can be heard shouting "shots fired" as others ask the officers to "stop."

The officer was put on leave immediately after the riot as the Justice Department opened an investigation into the shooting. 

Babbitt was an Air Force vet with 14 years in the service, during which she did four tours of duty.

She was a high-level security official throughout her time in service.

'I SAVED COUNTLESS LIVES'

The officer who shot Babbitt had been in law enforcement for 28 years before the Capitol riot.

Byrd joined the Capitol Police in 1993 and has been regularly assigned to the Speaker's Lobby, the highly restricted waiting area behind the House chamber that Babbitt and others were attempting to breach

"I know that day I saved countless lives," Byrd said in an interview with NBC News.

"I know members of Congress, as well as my fellow officers and staff, were in jeopardy and in serious danger. And that's my job."

It came just three days after the U.S. Capitol Police Department announced they would not discipline him.

"I tried to wait as long as I could," Byrd added.

"I hoped and prayed no one tried to enter through those doors. But their failure to comply required me to take the appropriate action to save the lives of members of Congress and myself and my fellow officers."

When asked about the Republicans who've criticized him, Byrd responded, "I hope they understand I did my job."

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