LAS VEGAS — Randy Sutton, the most highly decorated former police captain in the history of the Las Vegas Police Department, said at the Republican National Convention that President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris “stand with criminals” in the “battle for the soul of America.”
Speaking at the convention and paying tribute to Donald Trump, who survived an assassination attempt on Saturday, was a special moment, Trump told The Post by phone from Milwaukee on Tuesday night.
“This is the first time I’ve ever experienced anything like this,” Sutton said.
A former police officer and an experienced speaker, he said, “What an unimaginable experience it was not only to stand on this stage and address a large audience, but to know that there were millions of people watching, tens of thousands of American police officers, and to know that I had a sacred duty to address this country and to deliver the words that I said.”
He said he had wanted to adjust his remarks in the wake of the assassination attempt on President Trump but was urged by the Republican National Committee to stick to his original statements, which he did.
Sutton, a 34-year police veteran, said what criminals fear most is “past and future presidents of the United States”, a comment endorsed by Trump.
“Raising my hand in salute to him is something I’ll never forget,” the retired Las Vegas police officer said.
Sutton is now president of The Wounded Blue, an organization that helps injured officers seek and receive the help they need.
He said the organization is “a resource for every police officer in America, and we operate by our motto: Never Forgotten, Never Alone.”
He said he plans to release a book this fall, “Rescuing 9/11: The Fight to Keep America Safe,” that addresses some of the issues law enforcement currently faces.
“Rampant crime across our nation, a never-ending stream of illegal immigrants, impunity for violent crimes and an abuse of our criminal justice system have made America more dangerous than it has ever been,” the president told the convention audience.
“If the radical left is successful in defunding and destroying police as we know them, they will destroy law and order, which is the cornerstone of our system,” he said.
Sutton told The Post that Trump showed the same kind of courage shown by police officers who are injured in the line of duty.
“Seconds after President Trump was shot, with blood pouring from his wound, his courage in standing up and raising his fist was nothing short of an act of defiance against those who sought to harm him, and a truly unforgettable moment.”
