
A video released for the first time by foreign media shows the moment a police officer climbed onto the roof of a building overlooking a Donald Trump rally on July 13 and saw the former president's would-be assassin shortly before the start of the shooting.
A video from Butler Police Officer's body-worn camera shows the officer being lifted by his colleague on the roof, quickly collapsing after seeing the assailant, Thomas Mattheë Crooks. Approximately 40 seconds later, Crooks turned around and fired eight shots at Trump, who was hit in the ear. Seconds later, a Secret Service sniper shot and killed Crooks.
After seeing him, the officer runs to the other side of the building before running to his police car to retrieve a rifle. An officer asks where the shooter is, and the officer, gasping, says, "He's right."
"Who has eyes on him?" the officer asks. “He was right where you got me, bro. He was on the left side.”
Over the radio a voice says, "We have two civilians, taking care of them," and later, "I need an ambulance from behind." On the body cam of the officer who confronted Crooks, three shots can be heard ringing out, followed by five more shots being fired in rapid succession.
"Don't look up - he's there!" the officer shouts to the others after opening his car half a minute after the shooting.
Shortly after, the video shows law enforcement officers trying to get onto the roof.
“He's got glasses, long hair,” the officer who saw Crooks tells several others climbing the side of the building. "No, Mike, I climbed the wall and threw my head in front of him bro, he's got a book bag, he's crazy, AR laying down."
"But be careful because he can fall on you there," warns the officer.
When they eventually make it to the top of the building, footage shows Crooks' dead body, his rifle, and a trail of blood running down the side of the roof.
????Breaking: New bodycam footage obtained by FoxNews via a records request to Butler Township"shows a police officer being lifted up to the roof of the AGR building where would-be Trump assassin Thomas Crooks was perched." pic.twitter.com/omsrRG1seu
— John Greenewald, Jr. (@blackvaultcom) August 8, 2024