Col. Christopher Paris defends Pennsylvania State Police security efforts in Trump rally shooting
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Testimony from the commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police on Capitol Hill Tuesday raised new questions about security measures during former President Donald Trump's July 13 rally at the Butler Farm Show, which was cut short after a shooter fired eight rounds in under six seconds.
Col. Christopher Paris told the House Committee on Homeland Security that two local officers left their posts to look for the gunman, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, shortly before he opened fire from a roof near the rally, killing one person and injuring three, including Trump. The former president was grazed in one ear by a bullet, Trump and his former White House physician Ronny Jackson said.
The two officers were stationed at second-story windows in a building in a complex owned by AGR International, a company located just next to the farm show grounds.
Paris wasn't sure if those posts had a clear view of the roof that Crooks eventually shot from, which was also part of the AGR complex.
"Had [Butler County Emergency Services Unit] maintained position in that window overlooking the roof, isn't it true that they would've had a clean shot at Mr. Crooks as he was ascending the roof to his shooting position?" Republican Rep. Dan Bishop of North Carolina asked.
"I'm not prepared to say that because I don't know the exact timeline of events," Paris said.
He said the officers had left to go look for Crooks after spotting him on the ground.
"At a certain point they began searching, along with other local officers, in the immediacy … after Crooks had been identified as suspicious, by them," Paris said. "At some point, he produced a rangefinder, which heightened that suspicion."
A local law enforcement officer previously told CBS News that a sniper had snapped a picture of the gunman and saw him through the rangefinder. In graphic body camera video from a law enforcement officer released by Sen. Chuck Grassley on Tuesday, local law enforcement officers are seen discussing photographs of Crooks that were disseminated prior to the shooting.
During a walkthrough of the area prior to the event, a Pennsylvania State Police commander asked the Secret Service who was responsible for securing the roof of the AGR building, and was told that responsibility belonged to the Butler County ESU, Paris said.
As reported by KDKA-TV, law enforcement from Butler County told the Secret Service they couldn't be responsible for securing the building, but the Secret Service never responded to those messages.
Paris also disagreed with former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle's assessment of the AGR building that the roof was too sloped to be safe for stationing personnel.
Cheatle, who has since resigned, had told ABC News "there's a safety factor that would be considered there that we wouldn't want to put somebody up on a sloped roof."
"The slope of the roof, would that have prevented a sniper from being up there?" the committee chairman, Republican Rep. Mark Green of Tennessee, asked Paris.
"I don't believe so, sir," Paris answered.
Paris said he was limited in what he could say and could not jeopardize the investigation into the shooting.
"This is very much an ongoing, complex and dynamic investigation. And each day, as we arrive at Day 10 [Tuesday], I learn multiple new facts as we uncover new information, as the investigation progresses."
Col. Paris defends Pennsylvania State Police response
"What do you say to those that are saying that local law enforcement failed to provide adequate security at this rally?" Republican Rep. Anthony D'Esposito of New York asked Paris.
"Based on everything I know up until Day 10, I only am going to comment on the Pennsylvania State Police. And it's my belief as I sit here, based on all of the information that I have, that we met or exceeded our expectations for that event. Am I saying that the event was a success? Obviously it was not," Paris said.
Pennsylvania State Police provided 32 personnel at the request of the Secret Service and was tasked with running a motorcade for Trump with the Secret Service. Other PSP personnel staffed security posts within the secure area at the Butler Farm Show. Two troopers were on "roving duties" outside the secure area, he explained.
PSP also had personnel inside a command post that included members of the Secret Service.
Paris opened his remarks in the over four-hour hearing by offering prayers for Trump, the family of 50-year-old Corey Comperatore, a local firefighter killed in the shooting, as well as two other attendees, 57-year-old David Dutch and 74-year-old James Copenhaver, who were wounded but survived.
FBI Director Christopher Wray is the next official to face grilling by lawmakers about the assassination attempt on Trump. He's set to testify before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.