Shooting victims injured at July 13 rally notify Butler, other counties about lawsuit
Two Allegheny County men who were critically wounded by gunfire during the assassination attempt of President-elect Donald Trump at his July campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show grounds are planning lawsuits against Butler County, Butler Township, and other counties and municipalities.
A recent letter from the law firm representing Jim Copenhaver, 74, of Moon Township, and David Dutch, 57, of Plum, served the county and township with notice that they plan to sue.
“We did get the letter,” said Leslie Osche, chairwoman of the county commissioners.
The two men have not yet filed suits, but the letter “puts you on notice they could,” Osche said.
She said the letter was forwarded to the county’s insurance company, and multiple other counties received the same letter.
Butler Township received the letter on Dec. 26 from the New York law firm Speiser and Krause. The letter was a required notice of the men’s intention to file a suit, said Tom Knights, township manager.
Copenhaver and Dutch were shot and injured during the July 13 assassination attempt on Trump, whose ear was grazed by a bullet. Corey Comperatore, of Buffalo Township, was killed.
The U.S. Secret Service said Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, fired a rifle from the unsecured rooftop of the AGR building near the farm show grounds before he was fatally shot by sharpshooters.
Following their recovery, Copenhaver and Dutch have publicly criticized the Secret Service for its security planning for the rally.
