Butler, Pennsylvania – The Fraternal Order of Police is taking issue with the U.S. Secret Service’s (USSS) response to the attempted assassination of former President Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday night.
“We all want answers to our questions. As Secretary Mayorkas just stated, there were security failures and former President Trump nearly lost his life,” FOP Chairman Patrick Yoesu said in a statement. “Everyone in law enforcement can agree that the roof of the building should have been secured by law enforcement. Clearly it was not. Nonetheless, we must recognize the extraordinary heroism of the Secret Service agents and other officers at the scene who saved the lives of those they protected.”
Yoess’ comments come as the USSS security response has come under national criticism following the death of 50-year-old Corey Comperatore, who was shot and killed while trying to protect his wife and daughters from gunfire at a Trump rally. Two other men were also seriously injured: David Duch, 57, of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, and James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon Township, Pennsylvania.
Many local residents and rally attendees who spoke to Fox News Digital were grateful that Trump is still alive but were saddened by Comperatore’s killing and continue to question how the gunman, Thomas Crooks, was able to climb to the roof of a nearby building and open fire on the former president.
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On Saturday, July 13, 2024, Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump was speaking at a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania when gunfire erupted and a police sniper returned fire. (AP Photo/Jean J. Puskar)
The FOP noted that while no information was yet available about the shooting, Crooks was able to reach a position where he had a direct line of sight to President Trump, who was being guarded by the USSS.
“We must remember that the mission of law enforcement is a shared mission, and that law enforcement agencies at all levels routinely cooperate and work together,” Yoess continued. “More than 90 percent of law enforcement agencies in the United States [s]”They cannot do their jobs effectively without the support of their federal colleagues, and our federal partners cannot do their jobs without the support of our state and local agencies.”
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Republican presidential candidate and former president Donald Trump is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Saturday, July 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Yoesu added that he was “not sure what he’s talking about” in suggesting to the media that local law enforcement should not support the USSS at events such as presidential rallies.
“State and local governments may wonder whether they can rely on the Secret Service.”
“From a law enforcement and security standpoint, the upcoming election will present an extraordinary challenge for the Secret Service as they work and plan for security for candidates at venues across the country over the next four and a half months. As they develop and execute plans to protect the candidates, they will need to rely on state and local law enforcement to ensure they are successful in their protection mission,” Yoess said.
“But anonymous comments from unnamed officials may leave state and local agencies questioning whether they can rely on the Secret Service. I am concerned that anonymous comments and media speculation will have a chilling effect on the ability of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to work together in what will surely be an uphill battle.”
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Secret Service members and a crowd gather at a rally for former Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Yoes also noted that President Biden has ordered an independent investigation into the assassination attempt with the support of the Department of Homeland Security. Congress has also launched its own investigation into the shooting.
“This is a failure at the management or command level to address obvious weaknesses in the security of this event.”
“Whatever happened at Butler, this is not a failure of the local, state and federal officers on the scene who responded to the shooting at former President Trump. They acted heroically and put their lives on the line to protect everyone at the event, and we must acknowledge that,” Yoesu said. “This is a failure at the management or command level to close obvious weaknesses in the security of this event. The shooter should never have approached the rooftop where he carried out his attack. Time will tell whether it was a failed plan or a failed execution, but in the meantime law enforcement has a job to do.”
Drone footage shows police investigating a shooting at a campaign rally for Republican presidential candidate and former US President Donald Trump on July 14, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania, USA. (Carlos Osorio/Reuters)
A Secret Service spokesman, who declined to be named, told CNN that the agency had not seen the roof of the building where the shooter was lying with his rifle, but that it understood local police were tasked with searching the building for any threats. Local police were supposed to be in the area but were not, the spokesman added.
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle issued a statement on Monday saying, “Our deepest condolences go to the family and friends of Corey Comperatore, who was killed in Saturday’s assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, and to those injured in this senseless act of violence.”
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Police officers act during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
“During the incident, Secret Service agents on the scene acted swiftly, with counter-sniper teams neutralizing the shooter and agents implementing protective measures to ensure the safety of former President Donald Trump,” Cheatle said.
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She continued, “The Secret Service is working with all involved federal, state and local agencies to understand what happened, how it happened, and how we can prevent an incident like this from happening again. We understand the importance of the independent investigation announced by President Biden yesterday and will cooperate fully. We will also work with the appropriate congressional committees regarding their oversight activities.”
