A Closer Look at the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Response During a Threat to Donald Trump
In a dramatic sequence lasting approximately two and a half minutes, at least five law enforcement officers in Pennsylvania rushed to respond to a potential threat during a rally featuring former President Donald J. Trump. This incident unfolded as a gunman, identified as Thomas Crooks, climbed onto a roof adjacent to the rally site, where he ultimately fired shots aimed at Mr. Trump. Newly released police videos, along with footage from social media, shed light on the crucial moments surrounding this alarming event.
The body-cam and dashcam footage, coupled with an eyewitness video shared on YouTube, offers unprecedented insight into the actions and responses of Pennsylvania law enforcement at the warehouse where Mr. Crooks was stationed. These recordings capture the frantic efforts of officers, beginning around 6:08 p.m., as they worked to determine the gunman’s location. They faced the daunting challenge of devising a way to access the roof while simultaneously confirming that Crooks was armed. By approximately 6:11 p.m., the situation escalated as Mr. Crooks discharged his weapon.
Prior to the release of this footage, the specific actions of law enforcement officers in the vicinity — and their strategies for addressing this newly identified threat — remained largely ambiguous. Testimonies from state police and Secret Service officials provided some context; however, the detailed video evidence obtained by The New York Times through a public records request offers a minute-by-minute account from the perspectives of two officers present near the gunman during the shooting.
This footage not only illustrates the law enforcement response but also raises significant questions regarding the decisions made by the Secret Service. Notably, it calls into question why they did not evacuate Mr. Trump from the stage in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, despite local law enforcement’s urgent attempts to reach Mr. Crooks, at that time still unaware of his firearm.
The collection of footage analyzed by The Times comprises 12 videos released by the Butler Township Police Department, showcasing the intense focus of at least three Butler officers and one Pennsylvania state trooper on the roof from which Mr. Crooks fired. Additionally, eyewitness footage previously published on YouTube confirms the presence of a fifth law enforcement officer responding in the same vicinity.
