Posted on 07/15/2024 12:42:14 PM PDT by thegagline
The local Pennsylvania sheriff defended the armed officer who encountered former President Donald Trump’s would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks on the rooftop moments before the shooting — claiming it was the right call to retreat after the gunman pointed the weapon at him.
Butler County Sheriff Michael Slupe confirmed Monday that a local officer made contact with Crooks after being hoisted up to the roof by another officer — but fled when the sniper pointed his AR-style assault rifle at the officer.
“I would have done the same thing, absolutely,” the sheriff said.
comment. “All I know is the officer had both hands on the roof to get up on the roof, never made it because the shooter had turned towards the officer, and rightfully and smartly, the officer let go,” Slupe told KDKA.
The gunman immediately fired up to eight rounds at Trump, wounding him and killing a hero firefighter in the stands. Two others were also wounded.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
they have radios that are open unless you turn them off and even videos. why no drones....you only needed one.
Yeah, you retreat - AND CALL FOR IMMEDIATE BACK-UP.
don’t believe this story...the ladder was right there
Exactly. When seconds count, emptying a magazine into a safe target would trigger a reaction by the protective detail. Instead - clown.
If both my hands were busy trying to pull myself up over a roof edge (where I could not draw a side arm) and someone pointed a rifle at me, it would not be cowardice to duck back below the ledge. It would be survival instinct.
There are a few times when survival instinct can be over come, and usually only with stress training to inoculate oneself from the natural survival instincts. Rushing into fire to save the life of a loved one falls into that category. Given the roof shooter had not fired yet, and the cop didnt know what to expect, and it wasnt yet clear that lives were in danger, I am going to give the cop some leniency here, for the moment anyway. These cops were not trained SEALS, and may not have even been SWAT. Street cops dont get nearly as much training as you might think.
Circumstances obviously changed very quickly after the initial encounter by the cop.
Again, this is armchair quarterbacking.
Firing warning shots? Problems there too, could have distracted everyone away from the real problem.
agree...our snipers would have been able to locate where it came from....and sniper would have lost his concentration...
He saw the shooter, saw the rifle (it was pointed at him) he how about a little gangster action duck and put his pistol over the edge and blast the little creep?
Yep, exactly what I was thinking of.
All sorts of ‘law enforcement’ officials SS and on down almost allowed perhaps Civil War 2 to start because this 20 year old loser was just oh so much more clever than any of them.
That’s a valid question that needs answering.
I guess squeezing off a couple alert rounds in the air was too much to ask.
He saw the shooter, saw the rifle (it was pointed at him) he how about a little gangster action duck and put his pistol over the edge and blast the little creep?
Then both of them should be fired. This reminds me of the Uvalde police who didn’t rush in to subdue shooter for about one hour after they arrived. Reminds me of the old saying “fools rush in where angels fear to tread” but the more accurate saying today is “Heroes rush in where cowards fear to tread”.
“I would not have retreated: I didn’t retreat when I was shot at and hit in 1967 and I would not retreat now. Easy to see why police work has lost its prestige.”
Are we to assume you never took cover?
Yes, expectations by some here are way too high.
Interesting how the story has changed since yesterday. Yesterday had the officer climbing a ladder to reach the roof, now he was boosted up by another officer, holding on to the roof with both hands, and not having a third hand, could not use his weapon. So, when confronted by the murderer, he let go and dropped to the ground. Who boosted up the shooter if there was no ladder?
OK, I understand that first reports can lack details, but now, what do you do in that circumstance? Nothing? Get on a radio to someone, anyone, “Man on roof” Two armed officers are within feet of a gunman who has threatened one of them, and by all accounts (which may be incomplete or wrong) did nothing.
None of this absolves the Secret Service. They have two jobs, protect our currency and protect those who they are assigned to protect. They utterly failed the second.
Law enforcement has no obligation to protect. That concept flew the coop long ago. They are just there for the clean up.
Were radios on the same net? Runaway cop have a radio? Maybe he went for a Pepsi?
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