A dispute has emerged following the failed assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump during a rally in Butler County, Pennsylvania. Butler Township Commissioner Ed Natali has strongly defended the local police department against claims that it was responsible for securing the building from which the shooter fired.
Thomas Matthew Crooks, the gunman, targeted Trump from the roof of the American Glass Research (AGR) building. Federal authorities and the Secret Service initially indicated that local police were responsible for securing areas outside the immediate event perimeter, including the AGR building.
In a Facebook post, Natali refuted these assertions, stating, “The Butler Township Police Department (BTPD) had no security detail for this event. There were seven officers all assigned to traffic detail. Period! The BTPD was NOT responsible for securing AGR or any other location. Anyone who says so, reports on it, implies it, etc… is uninformed, lying, or covering their own backsides.”
Natali emphasized that local officers were only tasked with managing traffic. When they received a report of a suspicious person, they responded promptly but were not involved in the security detail for the event.
Video footage and reports confirmed that officers attempted to access the roof where Crooks was positioned. Natali explained that an officer was trying to pull himself up to the roof when the shooter pointed his weapon at him. The officer fell and injured himself, but his actions likely hurried the shooter’s attempts.
Natali criticized the finger-pointing that followed the incident, stating, “It is completely disgusting to see finger-pointing has become the priority when we had four people shot, with one of the four fatally wounded. It is more important to affix the blame than address the problem.”
The commissioner praised the dedication of the BTPD officers, highlighting their commitment to their community and their jobs. He reiterated that the local police were not responsible for securing the AGR building and expressed disappointment over the misleading reports.
As the investigation continues, the roles and responsibilities of different law enforcement agencies remain under scrutiny. The incident has sparked a broader debate about security measures at high-profile events and the accountability of those involved.
