'I took infamous Donald Trump mugshot – it left me fearing for my life'
Sheriff Pat Labat described the moment the former US president approached Fulton County Jail and opened up about Donald Trump's demeanour when the notorious photo was taken
A sheriff who took the infamous mugshot of Donald Trump has revealed that his actions led to his family's life being "threatened".
In a historic moment in 2023, the former US president was indicted alongside 18 of his allies in Georgia, with Trump facing accusations that he had schemed to illegally overturn the outcome of the 2020 election.
Trump later surrendered himself at Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, Georgia, where police took his fingerprints and the first mugshot of a former US president in history, reports the BBC.
Sheriff Pat Labat, who currently serves as the 28th Sheriff of Fulton County and took the mugshot, described the nerve-wracking moment the former US president approached the jail.
Sheriff Labat, who was filmed sitting at a table, said on BBC documentary Trump on Trial: Prosecuting a President: "I was out here by myself, literally pacing around out here. I still, at this point, had not decided if I was gonna take his mugshot, and so there was a lot going through my mind."
He continued: "Do you fingerprint? Do you take a mugshot of a former sitting president? Highest office in the free world. Do you treat him differently? And, of course, I landed on the side of you don't. You treat him like everybody else."
Sheriff Labat guided the filmmakers to a grey board pinned to the wall in the jail that served as the background to the now-notorious photo.
Recalling Trump's demeanour in that moment, he said: "He came here and at this point, all that you see on TV, all of the bravado that comes along with that...there was none of that. It was a solemn moment. The highest ranking official in the free world having to go through this."
Sat back at the table, the sheriff then revealed the disturbing repercussions he faced for completing his work: "And I received some interesting feedback. Had my life threatened; had my family's life threatened for taking a mugshot.
"So, it's a lot of opportunities to see both the best and the worst of what society has to offer."
Republican Trump is currently running for president in the 2024 race against Democrat and current vice-president Kamala Harris in what has already become a landmark election.
If Harris wins, she would become the US' first female president, while a Trump victory would mark the first time a defeated president has won a re-election in more than 100 years.
As of two days ago, a national polling average by FiveThirtyEight indicated that Harris had a small 1.7-point lead over her Republican rival, but other polls have offered varying results.
For example, in a poll by Atlas Intel up to October 17, Trump was leading by +3 points. Meanwhile, a Morning Consult survey on October 22 showed Harris in front by +4 points with people who are likely to vote.
US voters will head to the polls on November 5, with the next president serving a four-year term from January 2025.