Shooter turned gun on Butler Township police officer
Lt. Matthew Pearson, of Butler Township Police Department, confirmed Tuesday, July 16, that an officer of the department encountered the 20-year-old shooter on the roof of the AGR International building before shots were fired at former President Donald Trump during a rally Saturday, July 13, at the Butler Farm Show grounds in Connoquenessing Township.
Pearson said another officer helped hoist the man up. As he attempted to pull himself up on the roof, the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, of Bethel Park, turned his rifle on him.
As he was hanging from the building, drawing a weapon would not have been possible, Pearson said. The officer dropped to the ground.
Crooks then opened fire, killing one spectator and injuring three others — including Trump — before being shot dead by Secret Service.
Butler Township manager Tom Knights in an interview with NBC News said Butler Township police were not responsible for the security of the AGR International building. He said the township officers who located the gunman sent a message over a radio channel that included the Secret Service saying the person on the roof of the building had a gun.
Both Pearson and Butler County Sheriff Mike Slupe said there was no ladder present at the scene when the officer encountered Crooks, contrary to previous reporting. The ladder was likely brought later by law enforcement agencies after the shooter was killed to more easily access the roof, Slupe said.
Pearson has been leading the Butler Township Police Department since the May retirement of former chief John Hays. Supervisors are working to find a new chief.
