ATLANTA — Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat said he had the necessary resources to respond to a history-making event. In this case, that history-making event involves former President Donald Trump potentially facing criminal charges tied to his alleged role in trying to overturn Georgia's 2020 presidential election results.
Labat said he sent two commanders to Trump's arraignments in New York and Florida to learn how to prepare for a possible appearance by the former president at the Fulton County Courthouse.
"Understanding the gravity of it, we just began to prepare for what may or may not happen," Labat told 11Alive News. "Whether it be the structural setup of the building or the streets, those kinds of things. Circumstances provide a lot of opportunities for us."
Labat said the YSL trial has helped train deputies on how to handle high-profile court proceedings. He stated his biggest concern this time around was a potentially large media presence and the possibility of several protesters showing up at the courthouse.
“We will continue to assess threats, create a threat assessment, understand what we do need and the resources are there," Labat said. "We have really good partnerships and created this force multiplier. Our goal is to use whatever resources we need to maintain a safe environment.”
In a letter Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis sent to county officials back in April, she stated charges could come between July 11 and September 1. She also requested that the courthouse be secured during this timeframe. Willis asked judges to not schedule trials or in-person hearings from August 7-14.
While Labat would not go into detail on how much manpower was on hand to respond to such an event or what kind of resources might be used, he said his staff is flexible and able to secure the entire courthouse as soon as Willis makes an announcement.
"We expect patience. That’s the biggest piece," Labat said. "I respect people have the right to protest peacefully. We’ll certainly make sure we have the community’s best interests at heart.”