BUTLER, Penn. – FIRST ON FOX – Police bodycam footage obtained by Fox Information Digital on Thursday via a information request reveals two officers trying to intercept Thomas Matthew Crooks on a roof seconds earlier than he allegedly tried to assassinate former President Trump at a marketing campaign rally final month.
The footage is taken from two officers from the Butler Township Police Division who made a determined try to cease Crooks moments earlier than he fired his DPMS AR-15 rifle putting former President Trump within the ear, killing Corey Comparatore and injuring two others.
“F—— this close, bro. Dude he turned around on me,” the officer who was hoisted may be heard saying in one other bodycam video launched Thursday.
One officer may be seen internet hosting one other officer onto the roof the place Crooks was stationed, which is about 12 toes above the bottom.
One officer indicators to hoist one other officer onto the roof the place Crooks was stationed (Butler Township Police Division)
Crooks pointed his weapon on the officer who scaled the constructing, earlier than he finally geese his head and loses his grip on the roof’s edge and falls about eight toes to the bottom, spraining his ankle, Butler Township Supervisor Thomas Knights beforehand advised Fox Information Digital.
The video doesn’t seize Crooks.
“I’m f—— p—ed. We couldn’t find him,” one other officer may be heard saying within the different bodycam footage.
Bodycamera footage reveals an officer recognizing Thomas Crooks on the roof of the AGR constructing seocnds earlier than he opened fireplace. (Butler Twp Police Dept.)
Buildings which might be adjoining to The Butler Farm Present, web site of a marketing campaign rally for Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, are seen Monday July 15, 2024, in Butler, Pa. Thomas Crooks fireplace from the roof of the constructing complicated and wounded Trump on July 13 throughout an assassination try. (AP Photograph/Gene J. Puskar)
“Before you motherf—–s came up here, I popped my head up there like an idiot by myself dude,” the officer who was boosted onto the roof says. “Then he turned around and I f—— dropped and I started f—— I was calling out bro, f—— on top of the roof. F—— we’re not on the same frequency?”
“F—— we’re not on the same frequency?”
Butler Township PD Lt. Matthew Pearson advised an area outlet that the officer was unable to attract his weapon since he was hanging from the constructing.
Seconds later, Crooks opened fireplace and grazed Trump’s proper ear. Three rallygoers had been additionally shot, together with Corey Comperatore, 50, who was killed defending his household from hazard.
Republican candidate Donald Trump is seen with blood on his face surrounded by secret service brokers as he’s taken off the stage at a marketing campaign occasion at Butler Farm Present Inc. in Butler, Pennsylvania, July 13, 2024. Rebecca Droke/AFP by way of Getty Photographs (Rebecca Droke/AFP by way of Getty Photographs)
David Dutch and James Copenhaver had been injured after being shot on the rally. They’ve each since returned residence with Dutch on Wednesday offering Fox Information with an unique assertion on the lethal incident.
The footage is the most recent essential piece of publicly obtainable data launched that makes an attempt to make clear precisely what transpired that day and what efforts had been put in place to cease Crooks.
A map detailing the places of curiosity pertaining to the investigation of Thomas Crooks’ tried assassination of former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday, July 13, 2024. (Offered by Senator Chuck Grassley )
The safety breaches that paved the way in which for the capturing have been muddied by finger-pointing among the many varied companies concerned on the native, state and federal ranges.
Appearing Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe stated video of somebody shifting alongside a roof minutes earlier than former President Trump was shot confirms a “failure.”
The video, completely obtained by Fox Information Digital video, taken by sufferer Copenhaver, reveals a determine shifting throughout the roof of the American Glass Analysis (AGR) constructing simply minutes earlier than gunfire rang out at Trump’s rally.
The FBI beforehand revealed that Crooks had pushed to the rally web site at 11 a.m. on the day of the capturing and spent an hour there earlier than heading residence.
Thomas Matthew Crooks crawling on a roof moments earlier than he tried to assassinate former President Donald Trump. (DJ Laughery (background))
Crooks didn’t return to the scene till 3:50 p.m. Native legislation enforcement officers, of their designated positions, noticed him for the primary time round 5:10 p.m. — roughly 50 minutes earlier than Trump took the stage, in response to paperwork obtained by Fox Information Digital from Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who obtained them from the Beaver County Emergency Providers Unit (ESU).
On his return to the rally web site, Crooks flew a drone about 200 yards away from the place Trump was going to be talking, in response to the FBI. The FBI later stated that no photographs or movies had been taken from the drone and that the company discovered no reminiscence card within the drone.
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At 5:30 p.m., native legislation enforcement snapped an image of Crooks and escalated it to command.
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“Kid learning around building we are in,” an officer wrote in a textual content message, together with a picture of Crooks. “AGR I believe it is. I did see him with a range finder looking towards stage. FYI. If you wanna notify SS snipers to look out.”
“I lost sight of him,” the officer added.
A follow-up message stated: “Call it in to command and have a uniform check it out.”
By 6:12 p.m., the “kid” can be killed by a counter-sniper after he opened fired on the rallygoers.
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Thomas Matthew Crooks is pictured in entrance of the Butler Fairgrounds within the aftermath of the tried assassination of the previous president on July 14, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Bethel Park Faculty District/Getty Photographs)
Butler County Sheriff Michael Slupe advised the New York Submit beforehand that the officers who interrupted Crooks seemingly supplied sufficient of a distraction to avoid wasting Trump’s life.
“If I’m interrupted, and I move my gun, you are going to have to reassess that whole situation at this point, so yes, you can make a case that those two officers saved the president’s life,” Slupe advised the outlet.
Slupe stated “timing is everything,” and the interruption to the shooter purchased Trump the seconds he wanted to miraculously flip his head in order that the bullet struck solely his ear.
“Can you imagine 10 seconds before that?” the sheriff requested. “That the president was looking straight ahead and where that bullet could have potentially landed.”
Fox Information Digital is reviewing the bodycam footage. This submit shall be up to date.
Fox Information’ Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.
