Is Dan Flood working for Tim Harpole?
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Executive summary
Available reporting shows Dan Flood was part of Charlie Kirk’s security detail and is described in multiple accounts as directly assigned by Turning Point USA to protect Kirk; Brian Harpole led a contracted private security team at the event and is described as Flood’s “best friend” in some accounts [1] [2]. Sources disagree on precise employer labels — some call Flood “TPUSA security director” or “works for Turning Point USA,” while others describe him as part of the private team on site [3] [4].
1. What the reporting actually says about Flood’s role
The Salt Lake Tribune reports Brian Harpole said “Dan Flood — who was directly assigned by Kirk’s organization, Turning Point USA, to protect him — both jumped on top of Kirk to shield him,” identifying Flood as part of Kirk’s protective detail assigned by TPUSA [1]. Another Tribune story quotes Harpole saying there was “an additional security lead, Dan Flood, who works for Turning Point USA and is directly assigned to protect Kirk,” which frames Flood as TPUSA staff rather than a contractor for Harpole’s company [4].
2. How Harpole’s role is described and why that matters
Multiple pieces identify Brian Harpole as the head of the private team leading security at the event — including Harpole’s own accounts — and say his firm provided the contracted guards on stage [4]. A separate parcel of reporting and commentary notes Harpole and Flood were both among the men who carried Kirk to an SUV after he was shot, placing both physically on the same operational team at the scene [2]. The distinction between a contracted private team leader (Harpole) and an organizational security lead assigned by TPUSA (Flood) is central to who had managerial authority, but sources describe both men as present and actively protecting Kirk [2] [1] [4].
3. Conflicting labels: TPUSA staff, contractor, or security director?
Some outlets and commentary identify Flood as “TPUSA security director” or list him on TPUSA staff directories, while others describe him as part of the private security contingent on site and linked to Harpole [3] [4]. The headline that Integrity Security Solutions and TPUSA contracting disputes involved Harpole and Flood further blurs employer lines; a former contractor told a media outlet Flood was TPUSA’s security director and had previously worked for other firms, but these are claims from a single source and framed as part of a dispute [3].
4. What sources agree on: presence and actions at the scene
All relevant reports in the provided set concur that Dan Flood was physically present during the Utah Valley University event and that he took direct action to shield Charlie Kirk after the shooting, alongside Harpole and other guards [2] [1]. Video, photos, and eyewitness accounts cited in those reports place Flood near Kirk when the shooting occurred, including being among those who carried him to the SUV afterward [2].
5. Credibility, competing claims and possible agendas
The reporting includes firsthand interviews (Harpole on a podcast) and local newspaper coverage (The Salt Lake Tribune) that present Flood as TPUSA-assigned protection [1] [4]. Separately, a former contractor’s allegations about contracting disputes and “stabbed [him] in the back” language come from a single source in a politically charged context; that source alleges Harpole and Flood “used to work with him” and that Flood is a TPUSA security director [3]. The dispute over who contracted whom could reflect business rivalry, personal grievance, or organizational defensiveness; readers should note those possible motives when weighing the claim [3].
6. What the available reporting does not settle
Available sources do not provide a formal contract, payroll record, or an official organizational chart conclusively showing Flood’s employer at the time of the event. The documents or statements that would definitively prove whether Flood was on TPUSA payroll, Harpole’s payroll, or operating under a different contractual arrangement are not found in current reporting (not found in current reporting). Neither do the provided articles reproduce a direct statement from Turning Point USA’s HR or contracting records addressing Flood’s formal status (not found in current reporting).
7. Practical takeaway for readers
Based on existing reporting, Dan Flood was an active member of Charlie Kirk’s security detail at the Utah Valley University event and is described by multiple local reports as directly assigned by or working for Turning Point USA; Brian Harpole led a private team that also provided guards on site [1] [4] [2]. The precise employer relationship — payroll, contract holder or staff designation — remains unresolved in the sources provided, and some claims originate from parties involved in contractual disputes, which introduces potential bias [3].