简体中文
White House candidate Donald Trump was bundled off stage by security officers Saturday (Nov 5)after an apparently false gun scare during a campaign appearance.
US media cited law enforcement sources reporting that no gun had been found after a cry of alarm in the crowd, and Trump swiftly resumed his speech in Reno, Nevada.
The dramatic scenetook place just three days before Tuesday’s election, as Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton swept across states that could prove decisive in the vote.
The 70-year-old Republican tycoon reappeared just minutes after being led away by three Secret Service officers, who shielded his body with their own.
Minutes later, he reappeared to cheers, declaring: “Nobody said it was going to be easy for us, but we will never be stopped, never ever be stopped.
“I want to thank the Secret Service. These guys are fantastic. They don’t get enough credit. They don’t get enough credit. They are amazing people.”
Just before the fracas, Trump could be seen shielding his eyes from the lights in order to peer into the crowd.
There were signs of a struggle in the crowd as three agents led Trump away, shielding his body, but once a suspect was led away Trump resumed his stump speech.
Television footage showed a white male suspect pinioned on the ground by officers and searched, before he was led away by local law enforcement, including an armed response team in tactical dress with rifles.
The candidate appeared unrattled and spoke with his usual self-confidence, finishing his planned remarks and accepting applause before returning to his campaign plane safely.
“I would like to thank the United States Secret Service and the law enforcement resources in Reno and the state of Nevada for their fast and professional response,” he said in a campaign statement.
Reporters at the venue had earlier cited unnamed local law enforcement sources and witnesses in the crowd as saying there had been a report of a gun among theTrump supporters.
But the Secret Service later said the incident erupted when an unidentified individual in front of the stage shouted “gun.”
“Secret Service agents and Reno Police Officers immediately apprehended the subject. Upon a thorough search of the subject and the surrounding area, no weapon was found,” the Secret Service said in a statement.
“A thorough investigation is ongoing at this time by the US Secret Service and the Reno Police Department,” it said.
(THE STRAITS TIMES)
