Newly released police body camera footage has emerged, highlighting the immediate aftermath of the July 13 assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. The footage, obtained by The Wall Street Journal through a public records request, and reported by Just The News, captures a Butler Township police officer expressing deep frustration over what he perceived as critical security lapses by the Secret Service.
The video includes audio of the officer, who remains unidentified, voicing his anger over the Secret Service’s failure to position officers on a rooftop from which the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, fired eight shots at Trump using an AR-style assault rifle. “I f—ing told them that they needed to post guys f—ing over here,” the officer is heard saying. “I told them that f—ing Tuesday. I talked to the Secret Service guys. They’re like, ‘Yeah, no problem. We’re going to post guys over here.’”
The incident, which resulted in the death of one rally attendee and the wounding of three others, including Trump, has intensified scrutiny over the security protocols in place during the rally. Crooks, the gunman, was ultimately neutralized by a Secret Service counter-sniper, but the new footage raises further concerns about missed opportunities that might have prevented the attack.
The body cam audio also reveals a police officer discussing a suspicious individual who had been lost by authorities earlier in the day. The officer referred to the individual, later identified as Crooks, as a “gentleman with a flat face” who had been “creeping people out.” According to the footage, the officer noted that Crooks had been observed watching people from the woods near a water tower, which heightened suspicions.
Earlier reports indicated that police at the rally had identified Crooks as acting suspiciously but lost track of him before the shooting occurred. The officer’s radio broadcast, captured on the body camera, reflects the tension and confusion among law enforcement personnel during the event.
In another segment of the footage, an officer arrives at the scene and expresses disbelief to a fellow officer, saying, “I thought you guys were on the roof. I thought it was you. I thought it was you.” The other officer responds, “No,” explaining that no officers had been stationed on the roof, leading to further frustration. “What the f—,” the first officer exclaims. “Why were we not on the roof? Why weren’t we?”
The Secret Service reportedly believed that snipers from the Butler County Emergency Services Unit were responsible for securing the roof of the building from which Crooks fired. However, a local law enforcement official previously stated that the tactical team had informed the Secret Service during a pre-rally walk-through that its snipers would be stationed inside the building on the second floor rather than on the roof. The team’s leaders cited concerns about the extreme heat, with temperatures exceeding 90 degrees, as the reason for not positioning their snipers on the roof.
This latest revelation adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting significant miscommunication and inadequate security measures leading up to and during the assassination attempt. The incident has prompted calls for a thorough investigation into the coordination between local law enforcement and the Secret Service, as well as a reassessment of security protocols for high-profile events.
