In a recent release of dramatic bodycam footage, a new perspective on the July 13 incident involving a threat to former President Donald Trump has emerged.
This footage captures a Butler, Pennsylvania police officer navigating the rooftop where the would-be assassin had set up, and it shows the officer alerting agents about the precarious situation.
The footage, shared by Dailymail.com, begins with the officer being lifted onto the rooftop after Thomas Crooks, the suspect, was spotted by law enforcement.
Though the officer isn’t named, he is seen rapidly descending from the roof. While Crooks is not visible in the video, the officer later claimed that Crooks aimed his AR-15 at him.
Fleeing and Reporting
The officer then sprinted towards the area where Trump was speaking but quickly returned to coordinate with other law enforcement officers.
Amid rising concerns about the Secret Service’s response, the officer is heard stating he had previously warned agents about the unprotected rooftop. “I f***ing told them they need to post a guy over here,” he can be heard saying in footage later obtained by CNN. “I told them that on Tuesday, told them to post guys over here.”
The bodycam video, which runs for just over four minutes, shows the officer being lifted onto the roof about 150 yards from Trump’s location.
In a state of urgency, the officer ran from the rooftop, and although the early part of the footage is silent, he reportedly communicated over the radio about Crooks being armed with a “long gun.”
As the timestamp on the video matches the time Trump was shot at, the officer can be seen crouching behind a car and quickly assembling his own rifle.
He shouted to other officers about his close encounter with the gunman, exclaiming, “F***ing this close bro,” and describing how Crooks turned around on him.
Secret Service Response and Officer’s Reflections
While other officers searched for Crooks, the bodycam footage captures the officer pointing to the rooftop and indicating where Crooks was positioned. Crooks was quickly shot by Secret Service snipers from a nearby location.
By the time the officer returned to the building, heavily armed teams were arriving.
The officer provided a description of Crooks, noting, “He’s laying down… he’s got glasses, long hair.”
Aftermath and Officer’s Frustration
In the final moments of the footage, the officer recounts his actions with frustration, expressing regret over his earlier warning to the Secret Service about the rooftop’s vulnerability. “I f***ing told them they need to post a guy over here,” he repeats.
The footage ends with a camouflaged officer making a light-hearted comment about missing out on a photo opportunity with Trump, contrasting with the earlier tense moments.
This new footage provides a gripping view of the events and the intense pressure faced by law enforcement during the incident.
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