Newly released bodycam footage from the July 13 shooting incident in Pennsylvania reveals a shocking breakdown in communication between local police and the Secret Service. Days before the rally, a local officer urged the Secret Service to secure the building from which the would-be assassin fired, but the warning was allegedly ignored.
As the chaos of the July 13 Trump rally shooting incident in Butler, Pennsylvania, unfolds on screen, the newly released bodycam footage from the Butler Township Police Department paints a grim picture of security failures and communication breakdowns.
One chilling moment in the video occurs minutes after the assassination attempt, when a local police officer is heard expressing frustration: "I f---ing told them they need to post the guys f---ing over here. I told them," he says, referring to the Secret Service. "I told them that f---ing Tuesday."
Secret Service Ignored Local Officer's Warning to Secure Trump Shooter Building
The officer's comment suggests that he had alerted the Secret Service days before the rally about the need to secure the building from which Thomas Crooks, the would-be assassin, fired his shots. However, it appears that his warning was not heeded.
The footage also reveals a significant communication problem between the local police and other law enforcement agencies, including the Secret Service. After the officer's confrontation with Crooks, he relays to the other officials his frustration, saying, "Before you motherf---ers came up here, I popped my head up there like an idiot by myself, dude," he says. "Then he (Crooks) turned around, and I f---ing dropped, and I started f---ing … I was calling out, ‘Bro, f---ing on top of the roof.’ F---ing, we’re not on the same frequency?"
Secret Service Ignored Local Officer's Warning to Secure Trump Shooter Building
This statement indicates that the local police were either not on the same radio frequency as the other agencies or that their equipment was malfunctioning. This communication breakdown played a significant role in the chaotic and delayed response to the shooting.
Compounding the communication problems was the spotty cell service in the area, which further hindered the team's ability to coordinate their efforts.
Secret Service Ignored Local Officer's Warning to Secure Trump Shooter Building
The bodycam footage adds to the growing evidence of a serious breakdown in security and communication at the Trump rally. As former president Trump addressed the crowd, Crooks managed to clamber onto a rooftop and fire eight shots from a distance of 147 yards. A countersniper stationed nearby quickly killed Crooks, but the incident left one retired fire chief dead and two others seriously injured.
The Secret Service has yet to provide a satisfactory explanation for why no one was stationed on the rooftop, which had a direct line of sight to the president. The newly released bodycam footage further highlights the need for a thorough investigation into the security failures that allowed Crooks to carry out his attack.
Secret Service Ignored Local Officer's Warning to Secure Trump Shooter Building
