Police bodycam footage obtained by Fox News Digital has revealed a harrowing moment when two officers attempted to intercept Thomas Matthew Crooks on a roof just seconds before he allegedly tried to assassinate former President Trump at a campaign rally last month in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The footage shows two officers from the Butler Township Police Department making a desperate attempt to stop Crooks moments before he fired his DPMS AR-15 rifle, striking former President Trump in the ear, killing Corey Comparatore, and injuring two others. One officer can be seen hoisting another officer onto the roof where Crooks was stationed, about 12 feet above the ground.
Crooks pointed his weapon at the officer who scaled the building before ultimately losing his grip on the roof’s edge and falling about eight feet to the ground, spraining his ankle. The video does not capture Crooks, but it captures the tense moments leading up to the assassination attempt.
The security breaches that allowed the shooting to occur have been under scrutiny, with finger-pointing among various agencies at the local, state, and federal levels. Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe acknowledged a “failure” in security protocols, as video footage showed someone moving along a roof just minutes before the shooting.
Local law enforcement officers first spotted Crooks around 5:10 p.m., approximately 50 minutes before Trump took the stage. Crooks had driven to the rally site earlier in the day, spent an hour there, and then returned later in the afternoon. He flew a drone near the rally site but did not capture any photos or videos.
The officers who interrupted Crooks likely provided enough of a distraction to save Trump’s life, according to Butler County Sheriff Michael Slupe. The interruption bought Trump the crucial seconds he needed to turn his head, causing the bullet to strike only his ear.
The bodycam footage is a crucial piece of evidence shedding light on the events leading up to the assassination attempt. The investigation into the incident continues, with authorities working to piece together the sequence of events that led to the shooting.
Fox News Digital is reviewing the footage, and updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
