In a newly released bodycam video, a Pennsylvania police officer vents his frustration, claiming that he had warned the Secret Service to secure the building where a would-be assassin later took aim at former President Trump during a campaign rally. The footage, recorded from the bodycam of a Butler Township police officer, suggests that the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, may have used a wooden pallet to climb the structure before attempting the assassination.
Just 13 minutes after Crooks was neutralized by a sniper, the officer is seen walking around the AGR building, expressing his anger to a colleague about the Secret Service’s apparent negligence. “I f—ing told them they need to post the f—ing guys over here … the Secret Service,” the officer is heard saying. “I told them that f—ing Tuesday. I told them to f—ing post guys over here.” Another officer, possibly from the Butler City Police Department, responds with disbelief, “I thought you guys were on the roof.”
“No, we were inside,” the Butler Township officer clarifies, indicating a serious lapse in the security arrangements that day. The conversation between the officers underscores the chaotic and poorly coordinated security efforts that have since led to a blame game among the agencies involved.
The Butler City officer then admits, “I wasn’t even concerned about it because I thought someone was on the roof,” echoing the confusion and miscommunication that plagued the event. The Butler Township officer, clearly exasperated, adds, “I talked to the Secret Service guys, and they were like, ‘Yeah, no problem, we’re going to post guys over here.'”
Later in the footage, the officer discusses the situation with a countersniper, once again emphasizing his previous warnings. “I told the Secret Service, post a f—ing guy over here. I told them that f—ing at the meeting on Tuesday,” he reiterates.
The video also captures the officer’s frantic attempts to scale the building immediately after Crooks was shot. He asks a fellow officer if there was a ladder he could use, only to be told that Crooks likely used a nearby stack of wooden pallets to climb onto the roof. This revelation adds another layer to the already troubling security failures, particularly since earlier reports indicated that Crooks had bought a ladder from a local Home Depot, which was never found at the scene.
Overall, the footage paints a disturbing picture of the disorganized and frantic response by law enforcement on the day of the rally, raising serious questions about how such a critical security oversight could have occurred.
