A spokesman for the U.S. Secret Service on Sunday appeared to blame the Butler Township Police Department (BTPD) for failing to secure the building that would-be assassin Thomas Crooks used to shoot former President Donald Trump before Crooks was killed at the rally on Saturday.
Secret Service spokesman Anthony Gugliemi (pictured above) claimed the agency was not responsible for securing the building, according to The New York Times, which reported it “was outside of the designated perimeter of the Trump rally, so it was secured by local law enforcement, not Secret Service agents.”
It is not clear which local law enforcement agency Gugliemi referenced, but the Butler City Police Department (BCPD) told The Pennsylvania Daily Star the attempted assassination did not happen within the City of Butler.
“This event concerning former President Trump did not occur in the City of Butler. It was in a Township surrounding our area,” the BCPD told The Star. They added, “Secret Service is issuing all press related material.”
Butler Township is directly west of the City of Butler.
According to the Butler Township website, its police force boasts just 21 full-time officers including its police chief.
These include one lieutenant, four patrol sergeants, three detectives and twelve full time patrol officers. The department is additionally aided by “one part time dog law enforcement officer,” and “two full time clerical support staff.”
Just 17,230 individuals lived in Butler Township in 2020, according to the U.S. Census.
The Star contacted the BTPD to ask what information or requests from Secret Service it received in the days prior to Trump’s rally and to learn what actions it took to prepare for the rally.
It was reported on Monday that one local police officer climbed onto the roof to confront Crooks, which prompted the would-be assassin to point his rifle at the officer, forcing him to retreat, and allowing Crooks to immediately begin shooting at the stage where Trump stood.
Trump confirmed his right ear was pierced by one of Crooks’ bullets, and on Sunday revealed his life was narrowly saved when he turned away from the crowd to examine a sign containing immigration statistics he planned to reference in his speech.
One man, Corey Comperatore, died at the rally while shielding his family from the gunfire, and two more were wounded. A fundraiser for Comperatore, which is approved by Trump, has raised more than $4 million.
Scrutiny landed on the Secret Service immediately after the attempted assassination on Sunday, largely beginning when Tesla Motors and Space X CEO Elon Musk endorsed Trump and called for resignations over the attack.
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle stated on Monday the agency will fully participate in an “independent review” of the attempted assassination “to understand what happened, how it happened, and how we can prevent an incident like this from ever taking place again.”
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Anthony Guglielmi” by Anthony Guglielmi. Background Photo “Bulter Township Police Department” by Butler Township Police Department.
