Butler Township commissioner defends his police and argues that during Trump’s shooting, he was only responsible for traffic control

Amid a media firestorm over the security failure during Trump's rally in Pennsylvania, Butler Township Commissioner Edward Natali responded to the Secret Service's finger-pointing against local authorities, clarifying that the only task assigned to local police was to control traffic in the area.

In an interview for Breitbart News Daily, Natali explained that on the day of the attack against the former president, there were several security forces present, each with different responsibilities. "When you look at Secret Service, Pennsylvania State Police, Butler County Sheriff’s Department, the Butler Township police only responsibility was traffic detail, and I’m not going to comment on any other entity that was there, but I want to set the record straight," he said, in an effort to mitigate criticism that has arisen toward local authorities.

Reflections on security and responsibilities

The commissioner also addressed the issue of planning and preparation for the event, making it clear that the local police were not in charge of the building where the shooting occurred, as suggested by Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle in an interview with ABC News.

"I can tell you, my team had a very good operational plan for that day, but it was all traffic control," he said.

While Natali declined to point the finger at any specific entity for the failure that nearly took the former president's life, he criticized Cheatle's explanation for the lack of snipers on the rooftop used by the attacker, Thomas Crooks, because it was allegedly "too steep."

"Maybe she should go back to guarding Pepsi bottles versus protecting our presidents, and I know that’s kind of snarky and that’s usually not in my character, but it’s — God forgive me for that," Natali said, referring to Cheatle's previous position as senior director of global security at PepsiCo, before being appointed to the position by President Joe Biden in 2022.

Commissioner clears up rumors about local agent.

Natali also took the opportunity to clarify reports that have circulated in various media outlets about an unnamed local police officer who encountered Thomas Crooks prior to the shooting and who has been largely blamed for not stopping the shooter and preventing the attack. "He was not in a position to engage the suspect at all," he said.

The commissioner explained that the officer was being lifted by a fellow officer from the ground so he could observe what was happening on the roof; when the shooter saw him, he turned his weapon and pointed it at the officer's head.

According to Natali's explanation, the agent, without the possibility of defending himself in that position, tried to let go of the ceiling to grab his gun, but fell backward and was injured.

Natali believes that given the fact that the shooter saw the agent "forced him to shoot, maybe in a more hurried-up rate." "I’m looking at it that we unfortunately lost people, but he saved President Trump’s life by forcing him to hurry up and not having his shots made as accurate as he could have," he said.

The commissioner's version coincides with that provided recently by Butler Township Administrator Tom Knights. He reported that four Butler Township officers assigned to traffic duties left their posts upon hearing a radio call about a suspicious person on the roof of a nearby building, despite the presence of dozens of local, state and federal law enforcement officers at the scene.

The incident remains under investigation. However, Knights expressed hope that a full investigation will shed light on the events.