Local Police Provide Another Damning Update About the Trump Assassination Attempt

Sarah wrote about the latest bodycam footage, but we have another disconcerting update from the local police regarding the Trump assassination attempt on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania. Both local police and the Secret Service have been leaking details to clarify and to head off any blame game at the pass should a departmental war erupt. 

The rooftop of the American Glass Research building, which overlooked the rally area and was less than 200 yards from the stage, was left unprotected, allowing shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks to scale the structure and open fire on the former president. Trump was nearly killed by a fatal headshot that missed him by millimeters. Based on new evidence, local police were supposedly told by the Secret Service that they would handle covering this structure (via WSJ) [emphasis mine]: 

Local Pennsylvania police complained in the moments after last month’s attempted assassination of Donald Trump that they warned the U.S. Secret Service days in advance that the warehouse where the shooter was positioned needed protection, according to new videos obtained by The Wall Street Journal. 

“I f—ing told them that they needed to post guys f—ing over here…I told them that f—ing Tuesday,” said a Butler Township officer in audio captured on his body-worn camera. “I talked to the Secret Service guys. They’re like, ‘Yeah, no problem. We’re going to post guys over here.’ ” 

The footage paints a more complete picture of the anger and frustration on July 13 moments after Thomas Matthew Crooks was able to fire eight shots at the former president from an AR-style assault rifle. A spectator was killed, two others were injured, and Trump suffered a bullet wound to the ear. The Journal obtained the videos under a public-records request Thursday. 

A police officer in one of the videos at one point refers to a suspicious individual who had been lost by authorities. The unidentified officer referred to “a gentleman with a flat face that we were looking for earlier. He was creeping people out.” 

The officer’s account, broadcast over radio, was captured on one of the body cameras. “He was watching people out in the woods by the water tower. I’m not sure he is the gentleman down or not.” 

About 10 minutes after the shooting, another officer, arriving at the warehouse, said to a fellow officer, “I thought you guys were on the roof. I thought it was you. I thought it was you.” 

“No,” came the reply, with an explanation that no officers were on the roof. 

“What the f—,” the officer replied in frustration. “Why were we not on the roof? Why weren’t we?” 

Federal law-enforcement officials have said that the Secret Service thought local law- enforcement officers, including snipers from the Butler County Emergency Services Unit, were supposed to secure the building from which Crooks fired. 

Local SWAT teams had pictures and a description of Crooks before his attack, which they relayed on their radio system, which the Secret Service couldn’t access. Leaked text messages showed that law enforcement was aware of Crooks nearly 100 minutes before the assassination attempt but failed to clamp down on him. It’s a damning and embarrassing detail that exposed the $3.6 billion agency that is assigned to protect former and current presidents was a step behind the 20-year-old would-be assassin. Secret Service snipers now reportedly didn’t know Crooks was armed until he opened fire, though their sights were trained on him reportedly for almost two minutes before the attack. 

Local SWAT teams allege they had zero contact with the Secret Service until after the shots were fired and Crooks was killed. They also took responsibility for failing to protect Trump, along with the death of Corey Comperatore, who died in the crossfire. Two other attendees were injured as well.

Now-former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle was lambasted for suggesting the structure was left unprotected because of the sloped roof, which posed a physical danger to the agents. That was facially untrue and ripped apart by the media and experts alike. Her testimony on July 22 was a shambles, leading to her resignation the following day.

Thus far, no one has been disciplined for this failure. The agents who led the charge on ensuring rally security were said to be inexperienced and unqualified. Whistleblowers are coming out of the woodwork over this fiasco, as many questions remain unanswered.

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