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CNN security analyst and former FBI agent Josh Campbell defended Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and the agents Thursday who forcibly removed Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., during his viral outburst.
Video of the incident showed Padilla trying to walk up to Noem while she was speaking at a podium during a press conference in Los Angeles about the riots. Padilla simultaneously attempted to shout over Noem, but law enforcement stepped in and forcefully stopped Padilla’s advance.
Padilla was eventually taken to the ground and handcuffed, the video showed. Fox News reporters who were present said Padilla appeared to be detained for a period of time. Padilla identified himself in the midst of the altercation.
“I know we are in a politically charged climate, but from a law enforcement perspective, this was neither the fault nor the responsibility of DHS Secretary Noem,” Campbell argued. “She’s in the middle of a press conference. There’s someone who interrupts and then makes it clear by his movements that he is not going to comply. He’s taken out. Again, I don’t think any of that was her responsibility.”
Earlier, he explained how the story could be divided into three distinct moments that will be scrutinized in the days to come.
“First, you have the DHS secretary who was addressing the press,” he said. “This was not a Q&A period, and she was interrupted. She was interrupted by someone who was speaking very loudly. And so her security detail confronts what we obviously now know to be the senator. And at that point, he is now going to be escorted out. You can’t interrupt something like that that’s already in progress without having those consequences.”
Campbell explained one key moment when security agents at the event realized Padilla would refuse to comply.
“But the second incident, in my view, happens the moment — as officers are trying to lead him out — he then turns and walks back towards kind of into those agents,” Campbell said. “At that point, from a security detail perspective, we’re taking this person out against their will. We’ve asked the person — and again, this is all happening very quickly — but the moment he then turns into them, they realize this is not someone who is going to comply.”
The third incident, he noted, was when the agents had the senator handcuffed on the ground.
“Now there will be big questions raised about those kinds of tactics,” Campbell said. “Were there other options that were available to the federal agents as well — as the FBI police officer there — who is responsible for security in that FBI building? What they do is they actually order him to his knees and then quickly shove him down to the ground where he is then handcuffed.”
This incident, which has drawn outrage from Padilla’s fellow Democrats, will face some scrutiny, he warned.
Campbell also noted that Padilla’s status as a senator did not make any difference in that particular room and to those agents.
“In fact, that would have been special treatment for him if they had allowed him to continue to interrupt, you know, very loudly, this press conference,” he said.
An FBI spokesperson said Padilla was detained after being “disruptive.”
“During a press conference today held at the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, Senator Alex Padilla was detained by members of the U.S. Secret Service assigned to Secretary Noem’s detail when he became disruptive while formal remarks were being delivered,” the spokesperson said Thursday. “Secret Service Agents were assisted by FBI Police who are in Los Angeles at this time. Senator Padilla was not wearing his senate security pin; however, was subsequently positively identified and released.”
A DHS spokesperson said Padilla was told “repeatedly” to back away, and “did not comply” with officers’ commands.
“[Secret Service] thought he was an attacker and officers acted appropriately,” the spokesperson said.
Fox News’ Alec Schemmel and Alex Miller contributed to this report.
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