by Charlotte Hazard
Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Col. Christopher Paris’s testimony before Congress on Tuesday resulted in some more information coming out regarding the day of former President Donald Trump’s attempted assassination, but there are still unanswered questions.
Paris told the Homeland Security Committee that he did not agree with former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle’s assessment about not having an officer on the building the gunman used to attempt to assassinate former President Trump due to a “sloped roof.”
“My question is do you agree with the assessment of the former Secret Service director that the roof was so sloped that it created safety concerns?” Congressman Michael Guest, R-N.J., asked Paris during a Homeland Security hearing.
“I can’t agree with that statement, sir,” Paris responded.
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned from her position during the hearing.
He also testified that the Pennsylvania state police have not received the July 13 operational plan from the Secret Service, despite requesting it.
Local authorities are cooperating with the FBI on the investigation into the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.
“The PSP currently is conducting a criminal investigation, parallel to and in concert with the FBI, to identify any and all parties criminally culpable under Pennsylvania State law for the homicide and for the attempted homicides,” Paris told members of the GOP-led House Homeland Security Committee.
One person was fatally shot and three were wounded – including Trump who was shot in the right earlobe – at the July 13 Trump campaign rally in Butler County, Pennsylvania, The gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was killed by a Secret Service counter-sniper.
Multiple probes, including three in the House this week, have been launched to learn more about the security lapses that led to the sniper getting onto the roof of a building about 150 yards from the rally and firing eight shots before being killed.
Among the major questions was how did local law enforcement work, or failed to work, together to prevent the assassination attempt.
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Charlotte Hazard is a reporter for Just the News.
Photo “Col. Christopher Paris” by C-SPAN.
