Gene Petrino, a former SWAT commander with decades of experience, vehemently criticizes Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle's explanations for security lapses during the attempted assassination of former President Trump, highlighting glaring vulnerabilities and questioning the agency's competence.
Gene Petrino, a seasoned SWAT commander and security management expert, has vehemently denounced Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle's justifications for the security failures that marred the former President Trump rally shooting incident. Petrino, who boasts over 26 years of experience as SWAT commander for the Plantation Police Department in Florida, decried Cheatle's "sloped roof theory" as a shocking, illogical excuse.
According to Cheatle's explanation to ABC News, the Secret Service did not position snipers on the building where the shooter, Thomas Crooks, opened fire due to safety concerns stemming from a sloped roof. However, Petrino pointed out that published photos clearly depicted other Secret Service snipers occupying sloped roofs in the vicinity. He further emphasized that the site plan should have identified the roof as a potential vulnerability, yet no measures were taken to secure it.
SWAT Expert Condemns Secret Service Director's 'Audacious' Excuses for Trump Shooting Security Failures
Petrino also questioned the absence of drone surveillance at the rally, a glaring oversight that could have significantly aided in detecting threats. Additionally, he expressed bewilderment over the lack of snipers positioned at a nearby water tower, which would have provided a vantage point of all the roofs in the area.
The former SWAT commander asserted that the shooter should never have been able to ascend to the roof or discharge any shots. He unambiguously labeled the incident a "massive security failure" and attributed the responsibility directly to Cheatle, emphasizing that accountability always resides at the top.
SWAT Expert Condemns Secret Service Director's 'Audacious' Excuses for Trump Shooting Security Failures
Petrino's criticism extended to the apparent inexperience or inadequate funding of the security team, which he believed was evident in their response after shots were fired. He questioned the actions of the agents, who remained on stage with Trump despite his height and the need for immediate evacuation.
"It was so botched … it's just odd – usually, if you have a 6-foot principal, you're going to have people that are 6 feet," he said, referring to the size of the agents on the stage. "You're going to push your principal down. [Trump] should've been moved off that stage immediately, but he wasn't," Petrino lamented. "He had control of the team, the team should've had control of him."
SWAT Expert Condemns Secret Service Director's 'Audacious' Excuses for Trump Shooting Security Failures
While acknowledging that Trump's ability to galvanize the crowd after the incident may have been politically advantageous, Petrino maintained that he should have been removed from the stage for safety reasons. He concluded by emphasizing that the Secret Service, responsible for protecting the President, has a sacred duty, and any shortcomings in that regard are unacceptable.
