Pennsylvania officials dispute Rowe’s testimony blaming local law enforcement for not manning roof
Officials from Beaver County, Pennsylvania, disputed several portions of acting U.S. Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe Jr.’s testimony before a Senate panel Tuesday. Rowe was quick to deflect blame to local law enforcement for allowing a man to attempt to assassinate former President Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, July 13.
Rowe and FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate appeared for a joint hearing with the Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security committees. It was the first time a member of the Secret Service appeared before Congress since the resignation of former chief Kimberly Cheatle earlier this month.
Rowe testified that agents were unaware there was a man on the roof of the AGR building at the rally until it was too late. He also admitted the responsibility for the security breakdown at the former president’s rally ultimately rests with the Secret Service.
But when he was asked why Trump was allowed to take the stage at 6:02 p.m. despite security knowing there was a suspicious person spotted with a rangefinder, Rowe said he never received communication that there was a suspicious person with a weapon or with bad intentions.
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Rowe also used exhibits of the site and pointed to the roof that would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks fired from, adding, "I will not, and I cannot understand why there was no better coverage or at least someone looking at that roofline when that’s where they were posted."
The statement appeared to place blame on local snipers positioned inside the AGR building during the rally.
The commander of the Beaver County Emergency Services Unit, Patrick Young, and the Beaver County District Attorney, Nathan Bible, spoke to Fox News Tuesday, disputing accusations against the local officers.
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Young said there were two snipers inside the AGR building. One was from the Butler County Emergency Services Unit, the other from the Beaver County Emergency Services Unit.
At some point during the evening, one of the snipers saw Crooks and took pictures of him "solely off the fact that he looked suspicious," Young said, adding there was no indication he was a threat.
Young also said his unit was told where to go by Butler County ESU, which he assumed had approval from the Secret Service.
"They were in place by Butler County ESU, which I assume was with the approval of Secret Service. Their assignments that day (were) to be clearly defined and in no uncertain terms," Young said. "Their areas included the entry control point, the area before and after the magneton monitor and then the area in front of the stage. Those are all within the interior and secure perimeter as defined by the Secret Service. That was their locations … and their priority."
At about 5:34 p.m. that day, Young said, one of his officers saw Crooks with a rangefinder then checked into the "sniper text group" to get a picture out. He also said it was previously discussed by the Secret Service not to communicate through text, but he could not figure out any other way to share a picture via the radio.
Eventually, the Beaver County sniper saw Crooks pick up a backpack and disappear behind the edge of the building. The sniper then set out to the first floor to search for Crooks, interacted with the patrol and said the suspicious person was around back before returning to his post. At the same time, Young said, the Butler sniper remained at the window.
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Shortly after returning, shots were fired, and the Butler sniper heard the shots, Young explained.
But the window the two snipers were keeping watch from did not have a clear view of the roof Crooks was on without having to lean outside.
Bible defended the snipers, saying their job was to be on the outside of the perimeter looking into the crowd, not looking outside the area, which is where the roof was.
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"Our guys were in a covert sniper position, you know. They're set back a couple feet from the window," the DA said. "So, you know, in order to see on that roof, they would have had to hang out, hang outside, and in doing so, give up their position."
Bible added that if the Secret Service told local officials to station snipers on the roof, they would have, "absolutely."
Bible said the team of law enforcement from Beaver County that helped out was not happy with how federal officials portrayed things, but he and Young could not be prouder of the team.
"It’s less about them getting credit … for the amazing job they did that day," Bible said. "But they’re certainly not going to take unnecessary blame. So, I do feel like … they are a little bit upset about the way that some of the information has been disseminated. But certainly … they have a job to do, and you know if they’re asked to do it again, I’m sure that they will."
Fox News' CB Cotton contributed to this report.