Newly reported transcripts of law enforcement communications at the Butler, Pennsylvania, Trump rally depict a communications structure that essentially isolated local and federal law enforcement from each other at key times.
Communications reported Sunday by the Washington Post also highlight the effect spotty cellular service in the rural Allegheny Valley purportedly had on preventing transmission of key messages like an officer’s photo of then-suspicious individual Thomas Crooks.
According to encrypted radio communications obtained by the newspaper, at 5:42 p.m. ET on July 13, a counter-sniper from a local law enforcement agency alerted that a “younger White male [with] long hair” was “lurking” around the AGR glass company building adjacent to the Butler Farm Show grounds – but had since disappeared from view.
Within a half-hour, that suspicious individual – Thomas Crooks – would fire shots at former President Trump from atop that low-rise building and kill a local firefighter in the process.
However, that local officer’s warning would go unheard by U.S. Secret Service because the transmission went to a trailer from which local police commanders were operating – separate from the president’s detail, the paper reported, citing Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger and a separate law enforcement source.
According to the Post, the police commander in the trailer telephoned a Pennsylvania state trooper to pass the message along.
There were at least three other key moments when communications had to be transmitted by cellphone, at a venue where – like sporting events – crowds often overwhelm the frequency.
The director of emergency services in neighboring Beaver County – which also lent personnel for the event – told the paper that agencies should not be separated from each other and instead have representatives in “the same room.”
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Butler County Sgt. Edward Lenz, commander of the “ESU” or emergency services unit, had been monitoring the radio traffic, and telephoned a state police sergeant after Crooks was seen milling around with a range-finder.
The sergeant then passed along the message to Secret Service officials in the trailer where he was stationed, according to the report.
Attempts to reach Lenz with further questions were unsuccessful.
Spotty cell service continued to hamper the investigation of Crooks, as a local law enforcement officer transmitted that he was trying to share a photo via phone.
A Beaver County sniper later spotted Crooks by the glass company building with a backpack and began moving around within the building where he was stationed to try to keep eyes on him. The sniper, Sgt. Greg Nicol, was later praised by Beaver County officials for his “old-fashioned police work.”
Nicol then transmitted that Crooks “went toward the Sheetz” – referring to the Altoona-based gas station chain’s outpost just over a city block east of the AGR building.
Via a graphic, the Post reported Crooks may have moved over and used an HVAC unit on the far side of the AGR glass complex to get on the roof.
Various videos have shown Crooks around that time moving about the roof.
Once a police officer was able to peek over the top of the roof, as previously reported, Crooks was seen with his rifle.
According to the Post report, as Lenz radioed the QRF or “quick response force” about the now-armed threat, shots rang out.
On Wednesday, District Attorney Goldinger said concerns from local officials went unheeded by federal agents, and that it essentially left the locals to set up their own command post, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
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Law enforcement from Butler, Beaver and Washington Counties reportedly set up their post the morning of the rally. The Secret Service’s command post was set up at the rear of the site – toward where Trump would face from the dais – while the county command trailer was stage-left of the former president. Crook’s perch atop the AGR glass company building was stage-right.
In response to questions about the Post report from Fox News Digital, Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the agency is “committed to better understanding what happened before, during, and after the assassination attempt of former President Trump to ensure that it never happens again.”
“This includes a robust mission assurance investigation by our Office of Professional Responsibility that will meticulously examine all aspects of the event and complete cooperation with Congress, the FBI and other relevant investigations.”
