Police in the US state of Pennsylvania have released bodycam footage showing officers attempting to intercept Thomas Matthew Crooks moments before he attempted to assassinate Donald Trump at a campaign rally last month.
The footage, released Thursday, captures the desperate efforts of Butler Township police officers as they tried to stop Crooks, who was armed with a DPMS AR-15 rifle, the Fox News reported. The incident occurred during a campaign rally where Crooks fired at Trump, grazing the former US president’s ear and resulting in the death of a rallygoer.
Cops Chase Crooks
The footage shows one officer hoisting another onto the roof of the building, where Crooks was located some 12 feet above the ground. As the US officer reached the roof, Crooks pointed his weapon at him, causing the officer to duck and lose his grip, falling about eight feet and spraining his ankle. Seconds later, Crooks opened fire, leading to the chaos that ensued at the rally.
Butler County Sheriff Michael Slupe said that the officers’ intervention likely saved Trump’s life by distracting the shooter. “If I’m interrupted, and I move my gun, you are going to have to reassess that whole situation," Slupe said. “Timing is everything," he added, noting that the interruption allowed Trump to turn his head just in time to avoid a more serious injury.
The release of the bodycam footage is part of ongoing investigations into the security failures that allowed Crooks to get within 150 yards of Trump and open fire. Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe acknowledged that video footage of a figure moving along the roof shortly before the shooting indicates a “failure" in security measures.
The FBI has revealed that Crooks arrived at the rally site at 11 am. on the day of the shooting and spent an hour there before leaving, only to return at 3:50 pm. Local law enforcement first spotted him around 5:10 pm, approximately 50 minutes before Trump was scheduled to take the stage. During his second visit, Crooks flew a drone near the rally site, but the FBI later reported that no photos or videos were taken from it.
As investigations continue, questions remain about the motives behind the shooting. FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate indicated that Crooks’ social media activity contained anti-Semitic and anti-immigration themes. The US Secret Service meanwhile faces scrutiny over its handling of security for the event, with lawmakers demanding accountability for the lapses that led to the assassination attempt.
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