Armed Butler Township officer encountered Trump rally shooter on roof, sheriff says
BUTLER, Pa. (KDKA) -- New details continue to emerge in the aftermath of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump during a rally on Saturday.
Butler County Sheriff Michael Slupe confirmed to KDKA-TV that an armed municipal officer with Butler Township encountered shooter Thomas Crooks before he fired shots from a rooftop building outside the perimeter of former President Trump's rally.
The sheriff said he was not made aware of any potential threats, but confirmed an officer encountered the shooter on the roof, and didn't fire his weapon.
The rooftop encounter with Crooks
"All I know is the officer had both hands on the roof to get up on the roof, never made it because the shooter had turned towards the officer, and rightfully and smartly, the officer let go," Sheriff Slupe said.
Sheriff Slupe says before the shooting, the officer and others were previously alerted to a suspicious person and began searching for him right away.
Sheriff Slupe said this officer was hoisted by another officer to the roof of a building where the shooter had taken a position.
The shooter, Crooks, focused his rifle on the officer who let go and fell off the roof. Then, the 20-year-old began firing into the crowd.
A bullet grazed Trump, one bystander was killed, and two others were injured.
Sniper fire killed Crooks, authorities say.
Sheriff defends officer's actions
"I would have done the same thing, absolutely," Sheriff Slupe said when asked if the officer did the right thing. "I mean, people think the officers are supermen like you hold on the roof with one hand while you are hanging on for dear life and pull a gun out. It doesn't work that way."
Sheriff Slupe also said the officer was "well-equipped" with a firearm, but Slupe was not concerned about why the officer never fired his gun.
As the FBI investigation continues, questions now emerge of what went wrong. What could have been prevented?
Sheriff cites security failure in Trump rally shooting
While Sheriff Slupe believes there was a security failure, he is not ready to expand on how or why Crooks was able to go undetected.
"I don't want to say this or that when I don't know. Let's be fair, let's let the investigation take its course, and we are all going to learn something from this. There is not just one entity responsible; the Secret Service plays a key role in protecting, in this case, former President Trump, but they don't act alone. The Secret Service receives support from local police departments."
"There is an immediate ring around Trump, which is manned by the Secret Service, but then, there is a secondary ring further out, which is manned largely by local and state police. The assailant was in that secondary ring."
Local SWAT, snipers involved in security team
A Secret Service spokesperson confirmed to KDKA-TV that the agency relied on local police at the Trump rally to fill out parts of its specialized protective units.
Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger told KDKA-TV that multiple local agencies assisted with their SWAT teams. Butler County had its Emergency Services Unit and there were other local SWAT teams from Beaver County and the North Hills.
"We provided some snipers for them. Some quick response teams. We didn't have any responsibility with securing the perimeter or anything outside of that venue. And the hierarchy of command for the security would have been the Secret Service, followed by the state police and then the local municipal departments," said Goldinger. "Our guys were there basically to help."
Goldinger said he did not know how security personnel protected the area outside the perimeter.
Is there someone or something to blame for this lapse in security?
"Hindsight is always 20/20"
"There is no one entity to blame for this. This definitely is a failure. Definitely a failure. It's too early," Sheriff Slupe said.
Were security personnel alerted to the possibility that the rooftop the gunman was on was a vulnerable spot?
"That is a great question. I think the investigation in the coming days is going to hopefully answer that. I agree with you this is a failure. This never should have happened in the first place," Sheriff Slupe said.
"The shots should not have been made. That individual should not have accessed that location to have a line in sight with his rifle. It is completely unacceptable. I would have had coverage on more buildings than they had, [but] in retrospect, hindsight is always 20/20. I don't know the challenges they were facing."
There are reports that people saw this man on the roof with a gun and that they reported that to law enforcement.
The question remains whether law enforcement communicated that information to the Secret Service in enough time for the Secret Service to locate the gunman before he shot at former President Trump.
