In newly released bodycam footage from Pennsylvania, a furious Butler Township police officer is heard yelling about how he warned the Secret Service to secure a key warehouse days before Thomas Matthew Crooks attempted to assassinate former President Trump. The video captures the officer’s frustration as he recounts his urgent plea for added security, which went unheeded. The footage also reveals tense moments after the attack, including a dramatic scene where officers scramble to reach the rooftop where Crooks had been perched, potentially saving Trump’s life by distracting the shooter just before he fired.
The video, shared by the Butler County Police Department, captures an officer expressing anger over missed security measures. The officer, speaking into his body-worn camera, says he had urged the Secret Service to position guards around the warehouse where the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, had been. He had made these requests earlier but felt they weren’t acted upon in time.
The footage reveals a tense scene right after Crooks fired eight shots from an AR-style rifle at Trump. The attack resulted in a spectator’s death, two injuries, and a bullet wound to Trump’s ear. The Wall Street Journal acquired this footage through a public-records request, showing the raw emotions of the police as they respond to the situation.
In one part of the footage, an officer mentions a suspicious person they had been searching for earlier. This person had been seen lurking around the area and unsettling people, though it’s unclear if he was connected to the shooter.
About ten minutes after the shooting, an officer is heard expressing frustration that they hadn’t had officers stationed on the roof where Crooks was seen. “What the heck! Why weren’t we on the roof?” he says.
Another video shows an officer from the Butler Township Police Department trying to reach the roof of a building where Crooks was reportedly hiding. The footage shows him being lifted by another officer and attempting to climb up, though he struggles and falls.
Lt. Matthew Pearson from Butler Township explained that the officer couldn’t draw his weapon while climbing, and Sheriff Michael Slupe suggested that the officers’ interference might have distracted Crooks, possibly saving Trump’s life. Slupe pointed out how critical those moments were and wondered what could have happened if the bullet had struck Trump differently.
As of now, federal officials have not revealed Crooks’s motive or provided much information about him or his family. The attempt remains shrouded in mystery.
Earlier footage, released by Sen. Chuck Grassley’s office, shows law enforcement on a rooftop discussing the events after Crooks was killed by a Secret Service sniper. The footage includes images of Crooks’s body and discussions about whether an abandoned bike found nearby belonged to him.
Overall, these new videos give a clearer view of the intense and confusing moments following the assassination attempt, highlighting both the challenges and the quick reactions of the police and Secret Service.
