ATLANTA — August 24, 2023, will always hold a spot in Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat’s mind. It was the day he watched jail employees process former President Donald Trump after he and 18 others were indicted on charges that they conspired to overturn the 2020 election here in Georgia.
Labat spoke to CNN on Friday, saying it was “eerily quiet” as Trump came in to have his mugshot done and fingerprints taken.
“He came out, he was very stoic,” Labat said. “We took his mugshot, took his fingerprints as we would anybody else. And ultimately, we arranged for his bond paperwork to be brought to the motorcade so that we could get him in and off the premises as quickly as possible.”
Labat said watching Trump get processed was emotional.
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“For me, on a personal level, it was heartbreaking to see someone of that stature and who represents our country in that fashion, having to go through this but again,” Labat said.
Labat said he personally oversaw the processing so he could stop any “fake news” that would pop up on social media and other websites.
“I wanted to make sure that when these fake accusations came out about the facility and the portion that he was in, I actually was there and witnessed the portions that he actually walked through very briskly,” Labat said.
The sheriff said all the planning and coordination to get Trump in and out of the jail paid off and he couldn’t be prouder of his staff.
“I’m very proud of the women and men of the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, as well as the many local and state partners that really jumped in to help. It was a very well-thought-out plan,” Labat said.
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