Butler County DA disputes testimony regarding local officers’ roles amid Trump rally shooting
The two snipers assigned to the American Glass Research complex during a campaign rally for former President Donald Trump did not leave their post, according to Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger, who issued an official statement Wednesday, July 24, disputing portions of the testimony given at the House Committee on Homeland Security hearing on Tuesday.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Christopher Paris testified two officers with the Butler County Emergency Services Unit left their posts at the AGR building to search for Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old who eventually fired at Trump during the rally at the Butler Farm Show grounds.
In a news release sent to the Butler Eagle on Wednesday, July 24, Goldinger said that this testimony was “misstated.”
“Neither officer left their post, as was testified at the hearing on July 23,” wrote Goldinger. “Their post was the building. While one of the officers did leave the building briefly, it was in response to a suspicious person who had not encountered law enforcement despite them notifying other law enforcement of the suspicious person.”
According to Goldinger, members of the Butler County and Beaver County ESU teams were posted to a building in the AGR complex about 20 minutes before the shooting.
During the course of their duties, they observed a suspicious individual, later identified as Crooks, seated outside the building. The officers took a photo of him, “and circulated the photo and the fact that there was a suspicious person on the grounds of the AGR to other ESU members.”
The information was then passed to the command center for the Secret Service and the Pennsylvania State Police.
At some point, Goldinger stated, Crooks moved toward the other side of the building.
Both ESU officers moved within the building to continue monitoring Crooks. According to Goldinger, one officer located on the second floor observed Crooks sitting on a picnic table in front of the AGR building.
Crooks ran off carrying a backpack, Goldinger stated.
“At this point, that officer ran out of the building attempting to keep eyes on Crooks until other law enforcement arrived,” Goldinger wrote. “The other officer remained in the building, on the second floor. The officer who ran out of the building could not locate Crooks, and he returned to the building. Both officers then heard shots fired.”
According to Goldinger, the officers’ post was never left vacant.
“Further, neither officer could see Crooks on the other building due to the visual angle they had from their location to Crooks’ location,” he stated. “To say that these officers left their post is a misstatement.”
“These ESU officers, and all of the other ESU officers, volunteered their time to be present for the rally to assist Secret Service,” Goldinger stated. “They performed the duties to which they were assigned.”
