Police bodycam released by Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) on Tuesday shows Beaver County, Pennsylvania police officers tell a U.S. Secret Service agent a Butler County Police Department (BCPD) sniper was perched with a direct line-of-sight view of Thomas Michael Crooks as the 20-year-old attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump on July 13.
According to Grassley, the dialogue confirms the countersniper, identified as “Greg” in the video, captured photographs of the shooter and shared them with Secret Service, and was tracking him visually but lost sight prior to the shooting.
The U.S. Secret Service defines a “countersniper” as officers deployed to provide “long-range observation and tactical support.” These officers are sharpshooters assigned to defensive positions to protect against a sniper attack.
While standing feet away from Crooks’ body, the officer whose bodycam was recording explained the sniper who was stationed nearby was this same officer who earlier identified Crooks as suspicious and photographed him prior to the assassination attempt.
“I believe the sniper that seen these and sent the pictures is right inside this building,” the officer said before gesturing toward the left side of the screen.
“If you go to that window that’s open and yell for Greg, that’s the sniper that sent the original pictures,” the officer confirmed, adding that the sniper saw Crooks use a bicycle to reach the rally, and reported that Crooks was spotted with a backpack or book bag.
The officer confirmed, “He’s the one that sent the pictures of him.”
The photo (below) was widely disseminated on X almost immediately following the assassination attempt.
The officer told the Secret Service agent that Greg “would be right inside that window,” and was “the one that physically seen this, sent the pictures, and called it out.”
Reposted since Grassley released it, the clip had received nearly 7 million views on the social media platform X prior to press time.
JUST IN: Bodycam footage released by Senator Chuck Grassley from the Trump Pennsylvania rally on July 13th.
The video was obtained from the Beaver County Emergency Services Unit.
In the footage, the men were discussing how they had noticed Thomas Crooks earlier before the… pic.twitter.com/KQErF69xk5
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 23, 2024
In a statement, Grassley explained he released the video in a bid to hold federal law enforcement accountable for the attempted assassination.
Grassley stated, “questions have only been building regarding the catastrophic security failure that occurred on July 13,” but so far the Secret Service and other federal agencies “have failed to be transparent with the American people.”
He confirmed, “I’m releasing these records as part of my efforts to get answers and hold agencies accountable.”
The Pennsylvania Daily Star contacted Grassley’s office on Tuesday to ask whether the senator knows whether the BCPD sniper was ordered to leave his post in the period after he spotted Crooks but before the shooting began, but the senator’s office referred The Star to his public statement.
A second video, initially posted to the social media platform X by Representative Eli Crane (R-AZ-02), appears to show the view of the rooftop from the perch where the BCPD sniper was stationed, indicting he could likely see Crooks’ position prior to the attack.
“As you can see, they had complete coverage,” wrote Crane. He questioned, “Makes you wonder how on earth they allowed the shooter to access the roof, let alone crawl up it [and] fire several shots.”
This video was taken from one of the windows the Secret Service had access to, overlooking the entire roof.
As you can see, they had complete coverage.
Makes you wonder how on earth they allowed the shooter to access the roof, let alone crawl up it & fire several shots. pic.twitter.com/C1GTUAuPEa
— Rep. Eli Crane (@RepEliCrane) July 22, 2024
Former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned on Tuesday following the backlash she received for her agency’s handling of security during the July 13 rally. Her resignation came one day after her testimony about the assassination attempt in the U.S. House.
Other lawmakers, often quoting Secret Service or Department of Homeland Security whistleblowers, have claimed the Secret Service designated Trump’s rally a “loose” security event, staffed it with inexperienced personnel from agencies other than Secret Service, and failed to attend a law enforcement meeting on the date of the attack.
Critics outside government have argued the Secret Service “created the conditions” for the Trump assassination attempt to occur, in part, by leaving the former president’s security detail “understaffed, under-resourced, and stretched to its limits.”
Trump was shot in the ear during the assassination attempt. Two other rally attendees were injured, while former fire chief Corey Comperatore was fatally shot while shielding his family.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
