Law&Crime Sidebar - 7 Shocking Donald Trump Assassination Attempt Revelations Caught on Bodycam

Episode Date: August 14, 2024

Newly released body camera video shows Butler Township police reacting to the chaos right before and after shots were fired at a Pennsylvania rally for former president and current presidential nominee Donald Trump. The shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was killed by a sniper. Bullets killed one civilian, injured two others, and hit Trump in the ear. Law&Crime’s Jesse Weber walks us through the critical moments leading up to the assassination attempt on the former president.PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW: If you’re ever injured in an accident, you can check out Morgan & Morgan. You can submit a claim in 8 clicks or less without having to leave your couch. To start your claim, visit: https://www.forthepeople.com/LCSidebarProtect your retirement with a Gold IRA at https://lawandcrimegold.com or call 877-646-5347!HOST:Jesse Weber: https://twitter.com/jessecordweberLAW&CRIME SIDEBAR PRODUCTION:YouTube Management - Bobby SzokeVideo Editing - Michael Deininger and Christina FalconeScript Writing & Producing - Savannah WilliamsonGuest Booking - Alyssa Fisher & Diane KayeSocial Media Management - Vanessa BeinSTAY UP-TO-DATE WITH THE LAW&CRIME NETWORK:Watch Law&Crime Network on YouTubeTV: https://bit.ly/3td2e3yWhere To Watch Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3akxLK5Sign Up For Law&Crime's Daily Newsletter: https://bit.ly/LawandCrimeNewsletterRead Fascinating Articles From Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3td2IqoLAW&CRIME NETWORK SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawandcrime/Twitter: https://twitter.com/LawCrimeNetworkFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/lawandcrimeTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/lawandcrimenetworkTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lawandcrimeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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He has a picture of a guy shooting and getting shot. Oh, okay. We just thought out, do you know Trump got him? No. In a year. They just started on TV, we're just watching. Dramatic new body cam footage reveals the never-before-seen moments leading up to and after the shocking attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump that left two injured and one dead.

As officers scramble to make sense of the situation, we now have a better understanding of how this fits into the overall puzzle. Welcome to Sidebar, presented by Law and Crime. I'm Jesse Weber. It has officially been a month since the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. And now newly released body cam footage from police gives us different perspectives of the chaos right before and right after those shots were fired. And this, of course, is the shooting that took place back on July 13th out in Butler, Pennsylvania, at a Donald Trump rally. The shooter, identified by authorities as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was able to scale the roof of a nearby building. This was outside the security perimeter of the rally. It's known as the AGR building, set up an AR-15-style rifle, open fire, reporting indicates eight shots within six seconds,

and he ended up wounding Donald Trump, shooting him in the ear, injuring two attendees, critical injuries, and killing firefighter Corey Comparator. And each week, we are getting new information not only about the shooting, because there are multiple ongoing investigations into the security failures that day, but also the shooter. In fact, ABC is reporting that the FBI and other members of law enforcement had a private meeting with Donald Trump, where they revealed more details about. about Mr. Crooks, namely that he was a very intelligent young man, scoring higher than 1500 on his SATs, but he may have been suffering from severe mental illness, although it appears that he was never diagnosed. And while a motive for this shooting still remains a mystery, it is being reported that the FBI informed Donald Trump that Crooks had access to foreign email accounts related to buying weapons and ammunition. Now, to be called.

clear, there is no evidence that he was connected to a foreign adversary or enemy or a group or that he had any help or coordination. This again seems to be a lone wolf attack, which makes the motive here and the fact that we don't have one yet just so eerie. Now, the FBI reportedly also told Donald Trump that the claims that law enforcement had seen Thomas Matthew Crooks on the roof for a while before he opened fire or that a sniper team waited 10 whole minute. before taking him down, simply not true. Rather, they indicated to Donald Trump that while Crooks was IDed as a suspicious person, and we have talked about this before, he was carrying a rangefinder, a bag. In fact, a sniper had taken a picture of Crooks with the rangefinder. Law enforcement only

became aware that Crooks was on the roof about three minutes before the shooting, and they first saw him with the gun 30 seconds before he opened fire. But reporting indicates, That wasn't relayed to Secret Service's command post in time. And with that, by the way, the Washington Post reported that there was a serious breakdown in the communication between local law enforcement and Secret Service. Secret Service had, the Secret Service had asked for the help of local law enforcement that day.

So, for example, it's being reported that at 5.42 p.m., and remember, the shots were fired at 6.11 p.m., at 5.42 p.m., a local police officer alerted the mobile communications trailer that they spotted a young white male with long hair lurking around the AGR building and that he had a range finder, but they lost sight of him. Here was the problem. Apparently no one from the Secret Service was inside that communication center when that message came through. According to Secret Service Director Ronald Rode Jr., there were separate communications posts. Quote, there might have been radio traffic that we missed.

We have to be better on that. And when local police tried to relay information about crooks to secret service by way of cell phone, you know what the problem was there? The service was very wonky. So that delayed the efforts, too. Talking unpredictable events like the former president almost being assassinated, one of the most unpredictable things in life in general is if you get hurt, right? That comes out of nowhere.

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an officer apparently mistakenly said that crooks went in the wrong direction. So clearly, there was a breakdown here. And it brings me now to this newly released body cam footage. And I think the most appropriate place to start with this new body cam is arguably the most dramatic moment. And what I'm about to describe is something that has been reported on before, but this is the first time we're seeing it. So only moments before Crooks opened fire, a Butler Township police officer is hoisted up onto the roof of the AGR building. This again is after there was chatter that a suspicious person was on the roof. And as you can see on this footage, as the officer is hoisted up and he's essentially holding onto the side of the roof as making his way up there, he immediately falls down eight feet.

Now the reporting indicates, and this is essentially backed up by the body camp footage of this officer, he encounters. crooks who allegedly points the rifle at him. And the officer was not in a position to be able to retrieve his weapon and counter Crooks. So he falls down. And he runs back to his cruiser and he prepares to get his weapon. And this is when Crooks seconds later, I believe 39 seconds later to be precise, begins opening fire and is immediately neutralized by a counter sniper team. Now, there's no audio of this body cam as the officer makes his way up to the roof and falls down. But where the audio does kick in and where it picks back up is when he goes back to his cruiser and watch what happens next. This close, bro, do we turn around on me?

He's straight up! Okay, we have two civilians attending to him. I don't know! Who's got a ass on him? Who's got eyes on him? See, who's right where you picked me up, bro? He was on that left side. Yo, you're about to hop up.

He's laying down. He's going on, next building over. Right after the gap. She's got glasses, long hair. I need a ladder. She's going to be a little hole. Yo, Mike. Give me a ladder.

Come the wall. And I palm my head right in front of him, bro. He's got a book bag. He's got mad . A.R laying down. He's got full kit. Yeah, he's got a . He's laying down, purmed out, book bag next to him.

He's eyes up! Eyes up! This building, he was on top of this building. of this building, the left one. I jumped up. So by the Uralcray. This is a very serious. That one laying down. There's a gap in between you and there. So at another point in the body cam video, the officer gets hoisted up back onto the roof and you're going to hear in the background, let me see your hands. Let me see your hands.

That seems to be law enforcement laying their eyes on the shooter. But again, it's our understanding at this point, he had already been killed. me up points, give me up again. All right. Get one more. Ready? Ready? Yep.

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Where are they are? Follow, follow. Secure this. I got you. Whenever you're ready. Get them out of here. Get them out. Get them out.

You put the face. You know, you cut all up these wings down. Next, next, next. Next, next. Get out. I need a ladder. She's going to hold. I need a ladder.

She's going to hold. 13 05, that was relayed. I understood no confirmation. They were relayed on the right-hand side or the west hand side. They're on the way with it. Hold, hold, hold. Full kit. They are.

They are where do you want? What I will tell you is the most concerning to me, as somebody who's been following this from the beginning, what this signals to me is how concerning it was the authorities didn't have access to that roof. They didn't have a ladder. They didn't have easy access to that roof. That was a severe area of vulnerability.

Now, it's interesting seeing this because FBI director Christopher Ray had testified to Congress that it was their belief that although Crooks had apparently purchased a ladder earlier on, no ladder was found at the scene. And instead, they believed he used mechanical equipment to get to the AGR roof. And as reporting indicates, witnesses seemingly saw him doing this. Again, becomes a question, why wasn't he stopped? It's not so easy getting up there. And as dramatic and revealing, as that footage has been so far of this body cam,

now I have to show you something else. Listen to what officers say in the aftermath of this shooting. You go, bro? Yeah, I know. I hear you. We're watching me. I know, you can find him. Yeah.

No. I fucking told them they need to post the guys over here. I told him that the Secret Service. I told him that Tuesday. I told him the post guys over here. What? I thought you guys want to move. No. We're inside. Alpha one, Bravo one. Take me.

I told them the post guys over here. I wasn't even concerned about it because I thought someone was on the roof. I thought that's how we... They were... They were inside. In the building. Because if... You need to go somewhere over in the left room.

Because I thought we were going to post guys over here. I talked to the Secret Service guys. They're like, yeah, no problem. We're going to post guys over here. Who... Who was over here? Who was where? Who was where?

I was against the fence right there. You were a fence right there. And then Bollary issue you guys was right there. Was there a guy... Was there one of your... guys or was there a secret service guy over here so i saw everyone starts around in the building no no before all at the start at the start of the hospital this whole shirt yeah they're getting here and set up a apartment whatever they can do there's also another guy at

one drop a secret service post a guy over here this uh we're i told him that at the meeting on tuesday and that has become the central focus since this happened. How come the roof was not secured? And there's been a bit of a blame game, whether the Secret Service directed local law enforcement to secure the building or not, whether officers abandoned their posts or not, whether a team had left the roof because it was too hot, although that seemingly has been debunked. I will tell you, Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe, who I mentioned before, did indicate this was a failure of Secret Service, since they have the primary responsibility of securing the area and protecting Donald Trump.

I've interviewed Charles Marino, former Secret Service agent here on Cybar. He said the buck stops with Secret Service. Now, there was also directives that counter-sniper's be set up inside the AGR building, not on the roof, to scan the surrounding area. Now, communication issues, frustration. They really describe not only what we are learning about the breakdown in security, but also in these videos. There was another dramatic body cam video that I want to show you, too.

This is after the shooting where, again, you can hear the officer trying to clear bystanders out of the area, seeing if anyone needs help. But he also seems concerned for his family who may be there. If you're not law enforcement, go! If you're no law enforcement, go! We don't know. No! I'm a medic. We got plenty. Thank you. I do, too, but we haven't confirmed it.

I have witnesses that think he is down, but we have not confirmed. Oh, yeah, he's dead. He's up in the room. Anybody out here hurt? No, no. They were no one there. Control, you get anything on the grounds? If anybody hurt? Do we need a medic here? They have at least one struck. They're getting help to him. You need EMS? Anybody need a medic?

I'm telling the louis. Go down that way. Get me a little bit more. Anybody need a medic? All right, threat one is down. Threat one is down. We need to secure the rest of the area. Get the a bit out of there.

I'm okay. Get out of there. I'm gone. Just get everybody together and get out of there and get in the house, and I am okay. I don't know where Matthew and Mason and Doug are. You're by yourself? Okay. Hey, we had shots fired up here at the convention.

Everybody took off. Cooper got separated. You're keeping out for my kids. I sent them home. Oh, okay, yeah. We got an active shooter up here on the top of AGR. All right, 500 points now right now. All right, I'm okay.

I'm okay. I talk to Cooper. I haven't been able to get a hold of my brother. Did you say there's a shooter? Yes, we have an active shooter on a roof of AGR. Let me go. Let me go next door. Okay, I will.

Thank you. All right. Yeah. My kids were in there. My kids were in there. They got separated and I'm trying to get them home. So a really scary situation as that was playing in real time. Now, finally, I want to play for you something else from other body cams because this is where you're going to hear witnesses interacting with law enforcement.

Hey, sometimes in these kinds of cases, actually many times in these kinds of cases, people on the ground, the eyewitnesses, you need to interview them immediately to capture their immediate recollections of events. What did they see? What did they hear? What did their cell phone show? Did they capture this? So their descriptions of what they saw is so important. And it also seems at least one person may have been originally thought to be involved with the shooting because he seemingly looked like Mr. Crux. Pick up truck. Okay. He pulled up in there, left his door open. He had a gray shirt on pants.

He came out like, you know, huffed up. I'm not sure if he's this. He said he worked for 35 years. He came out. So I was standing. Regular was a picnic table underneath the tree. it over by the fence i was staying on the fence right by that picnic table okay he came out towards me first i was the first one in this in this area and you got to get out of here got to get out of here

and uh after you left me he worked his way up the fence to i think those two guys next of the guy but he got out of the car so somebody else is driving no he was driving telling us everybody has to leave no truck that's a property okay i know one's lot of here. Huh. Okay. And we don't know where that truck went? No, because he went on, he left, and they came back, settled for a while, okay. Then left again. The boss says take you to the front of the building, ID you, and talk to him. Okay. I guess you guys saw some stuff. Is that what happened? We were just in the middle. I heard this shot drop in a piece of deck, bro. Okay. Well, they probably just want to talk to you, and you probably didn't get your phone back once they realize

you're not involved. Yeah, yeah. I mean, I gave my password to my phone and everything. So if dude looks like a spitting image of you like hair right down to his you know his neckline shorts and a t-shirt and then he changed his clothes at some point is what we're told so they're like it doesn't matter what you're wearing you look anything like them we're grabbing you you know what I mean and whenever there's a secret service and possible president involved and yeah you got no choice man I was in the middle of it I got it in the deck I got it all did you oh that's why he took Yeah. I have no.

Oh man, the camera angle is that I had... How many time do you think it got shot? Oh, at least 15. Seriously? The guy had a really quick with this in my auto or he had something. Then I started recording because then I figured something was up. And then I started hearing the gunshots, several at least. And then, yeah, just, you know, try to, like, hide behind a post or tree or something and film.

Yeah. Crazy, man. Yeah. I didn't see the shooter, though, for sure. Did you record it on your phone, too? Yes, I did. Did they take your phone as well? Yes, they did.

All in all, just absolutely harrowing footage. And it really gives us new perspective and point of views from that day that we hadn't seen before. And as we have said continuously here on Sidebar, this is a, another piece of the overall puzzle. Hopefully, as these investigations continue and more details come out, we will have a full understanding of not only why this happened, but what went wrong. And most importantly, what needs to happen to make sure nothing like this ever happens again?

That's all we have for you here on Sidebar. Everybody, thank you so much for joining us. As always, please subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Jesse Weber. be to next time. You can binge all episodes of this long crime series ad free right now on Wondery Plus. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.