Topline
Newly released footage of police in Butler, Pennsylvania, responding to the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump showed officers scrambling to gain access to the roof from which a gunman fired and expressing frustration about the roof not being properly secured.
New bodycam footage shows police desperately trying to reach the gunman before he fired at former … [+]
Key Facts
The Butler Township Police Department released body and dashboard camera footage of the moments leading up to the shooting and its aftermath to various media outlets on Thursday.
A clip published by the New York Times shows the gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was briefly captured by an officer’s body camera while walking on the roof of a building overlooking Trump’s rally just three minutes before the shooting, although it is unclear if the officer was able to spot him at the time.
The clip was captured as officers searched the area after receiving reports that a suspicious person was moving away from the rally.
Another body camera clip showed an officer being hoisted up by his colleague to get a better view of the roof, before dropping down once he saw Crooks after he “turned around on” the officer.
After seeing Crooks, the officer radios the command post that he is armed with a rifle, but this information reportedly does not reach the Secret Service.
After the shooting, an officer can be heard criticizing the Secret Service for not heeding his advice on posting someone on the roof: “I f**ing told them…Tuesday…They’re like, ‘Yeah, no problem. We’re going to post guys over here.’”
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Crucial Quote
In a press conference last week, the Secret Service’s acting Director Ronald Rowe told reporters: “This was a Secret Service failure…That roof should have been covered. We should have had eyes on that.” He added: “In no way should any state or local agency supporting us in Butler on July 13th be held responsible for our Secret Service failure.”
Key Background
Last month, Trump was addressing his supporters at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania when Crooks fired at him. The former president survived the assassination attempt with a minor ear injury, although one rally attendee was killed and two others were severely injured. Local law enforcement blamed the incident on lack of manpower and “extremely poor planning.” The Secret Service came under severe criticism for failing to stop the shooter, prompting the agency’s Director Kimberly Cheatle to resign and take “full responsibility for the security lapse.” A bipartisan 13-member House panel led by Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., has been formed to investigate the incident.
Further Reading
New Footage From the Trump Assassination Attempt Shows a Frantic Police Effort to Reach the Gunman (New York Times)
Videos Show Police at Trump Rally Airing Frustration With Secret Service (Wall Street Journal)
New bodycam video shows moment police officer saw Trump shooter just before assassination attempt (CNN)
