Pittsburgh police chief explains transfers of motorcycle supervisors in Trump rally security flap
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Pittsburgh’s police chief said Thursday that a lieutenant overstepped his authority when he approved at least a dozen members of the city force’s motorcycle unit to provide security at the Butler County rally at which former President Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt.
Pittsburgh police Chief Larry Scirotto said he removed the lieutenant and a sergeant from the unit three days after the July 13 rally amid an internal investigation into the decision-making that surrounded what he called a policy violation.
That investigation is still ongoing, according to Scirotto, who on Thursday provided his most extensive comments to date about the matter.
Scirotto said that he did not have a problem with his officers traveling out of town and providing security for dignitaries, but in this case, the concern had to do with whether internal protocols were followed.
Pittsburgh police provided security Wednesday during 9/11 ceremonies at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Somerset County, Scirotto said. That assignment, he said, was properly authorized through the chain of command.
“We have rules, and when you don’t follow those rules, there are consequences,” Scirotto said.
Scirotto said that he would not characterize the transfers as disciplinary.
He also said that the rank-and-file officers who guarded the Trump rally with the permission of their supervisors were not in trouble.
Scirotto said he learned of the officers’ involvement at the rally when news broke about the attempted assassination.
At the rally, a gunman fired several shots at Trump, grazing his ear, killing a spectator and severely injuring two other attendees.
Robert Swartzwelder, the head of the city’s police union, told TribLive the two supervisors, who his union represents, met at least twice with Pennsylvania State Police about the security work.
Neither Scirotto nor Swartzwelder would name the supervisors. Scirotto said both officers remain working on patrol.
Swartzwelder told TribLive he has filed a grievance with the city over the handling of the transfers.
Mayor Ed Gainey’s office on Thursday declined comment.
“This is a personnel not a political matter being addressed by Chief Scirotto,” Olga George, a Gainey spokeswoman, said.
The motorcycle unit has 13 officers, Cara Cruz, a police spokeswoman, said.
About 30 to 40 state police troopers, all requested by the Secret Service, provided security at the rally, according to Myles Sanders, a state police spokesman said. He declined further comment.
Congress this summer launched a bipartisan task force to investigate the assassination attempt. Its final report is due in December.