Chimps, like any wild animals, are NEVER suitable for pets. I’m appalled that anyone would have one exposed to other people and the public. The owner should be held as directly culpable in this.
I agree that chimps should not be pets. Other "wild" animals can make excellent pets.
With anything we do, there are risks. Dogs can be very dangerous pets. Cats are less dangerous to people but a menace to native bird populations. Horses can be nice enough animals, but their size and strength means that when they have a reaction to something, that reaction can produce disastrous consequences.
To understand the risks, we need to see how the animal processes information and what tools the animal has to do damage. Animals that integrate us into their social hierarchy can be fun pets because we share certain bonds. However, that integration also means behaviors that can be more dangerous. The neighbor's dog may try to attack me in my yard or on a public street because the dog sees that ground as "his territory" and me as an intruder. The neighbor's boa constrictor is never going to see me that way. The neighbor's dog can chase me down if he decides to attack. A sugar glider is not going to be able to chase me down.
Chimps seem to have the horrible combination of volatile temperaments, incredible strength, and a desire to incorporate us into their view of "society." What applies to them doesn't necessarily apply to any other exotic animal.