Pittsburg, PA
Secret Service Pittsburgh employees placed on administrative leave: report
Video shows Trump shooting victim’s POV moments before gunfire
A new video from James Copenhaver, one of the victims critically wounded in a July 13 assassination attempt against former President Trump, shows a figure moving across a rooftop just minutes before gunfire rang out at Trump’s rally in Butler, PA.
Several members of the U.S. Secret Service Pittsburgh Field Office have reportedly been placed on administrative leave following the July 13 assassination attempt against former President Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.
A different group of USSS agents specifically assigned to Trump’s detail remain operational, sources familiar with the matter told RealClear Politics.
Anthony Guglielmi, USSS chief of communications, told Fox News Digital in a statement that the agency’s personnel are held “to the highest professional standards, and any identified and substantiated violations of policy will be investigated by the Office of Professional Responsibility for potential disciplinary action.”
USSS did not directly confirm any employees placed on leave, but Guglielmi added that given the “personal” nature of the matter, the agency is “not in a position to comment further.”
ATTEMPTED TRUMP ASSASSIN SEEN WALKING AROUND PENNSYLVANIA RALLY HOURS BEFORE OPENING FIRE
Acting Director of the U.S. Secret Service, Ronald L. Rowe, Jr. appears before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the attempted assassination of Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., July 30, 2024. (REUTERS/Kevin Mohatt)
“The U.S. Secret Service is committed to investigating the decisions and actions of personnel related to the event in Butler, Pennsylvania and the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump,” Guglielmi said. “The U.S. Secret Service’s mission assurance review is progressing, and we are examining the processes, procedures and factors that led to this operational failure.”
Sources told RealClear Politics that the decision to place Pittsburgh Field Office employees on leave versus the other agents assigned to Trump’s detail has created some internal speculation that the local office may bear the brunt of responsibility for failures on July 13.
TRUMP SHOOTING: TIMELINE OF ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW GUNMAN EVADED SECURITY
Former President Trump’s ear was grazed by a bullet during a July 13 assassination attempt at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Evan Vucci)
Various lawmakers have called on the Secret Service to make personnel changes and fire employees after the assassination attempt that killed Corey Comperatore and left two others, David Dutch and James Copenhaver, severely injured, while the former president astoundingly walked away with only a grazed ear.
Former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned less than two weeks after the shooting and after giving her initial testimony about the event before members of Congress.
TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT SPARKS INVESTIGATION OF SECRET SERVICE DEI POLICIES: ‘COMPROMISED ITS MISSION’
U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle testifies before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee about the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a campaign event in Pennsylvania, at the Capitol in Washington on Monday, July 22, 2024. ( AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
Police-worn body camera footage released on Aug. 9 shows the moments after gunman Thomas Crooks, 20, opened fire at the rally in which local Butler law enforcement can be heard discussing how Secret Service was apparently supposed to secure the AGR building Crooks shot from.
WATCH:
“I f—ing told them they need to post the f—ing guys over here … the Secret Service,” the officer says in the video. “I told them that f—ing Tuesday. I told them to f—ing post guys over here.”
A video taken by Copenhaver from his point of view in the stand also shows a figure clearly moving across the roof of the AGR building just three minutes before gunfire rang out.
Thomas Crooks seen at the Trump rally on July 13 in Butler, PA. (Sen. Ron Johnson)
CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Additionally, Republican Louisiana Sen. Higgins’ Office recently revealed that the USSS did not retrieve radios that had been set aside for them by Butler County tactical command and arranged during their pre-mission planning process.
The congressional Trump Assassination Attempt Task Force will be in Butler on Monday to meet with local officials and gather more first-hand knowledge about the events of July 13.
Pittsburg, PA
The Eastman aims to reinvigorate an East Allegheny space with new energy
Pittsburg, PA
Sinkhole closes portion of road near UPMC Passavant hospital
Crews have blocked off a portion of a road in McCandless, Allegheny County, near UPMC Passavant, after a large sinkhole formed.
A township official confirmed to KDKA-TV on Sunday night that Cumberland Road is closed at Babcock Boulevard in front of the hospital. Barricades have been erected to ensure no pedestrians or vehicles have access to the area while repairs are made.
UMPC Passavant remains accessible via the Babcock Boulevard entrance and from the Peebles Road side of Cumberland Road, officials said.
A fire chief responding to the call told KDKA-TV that there are pipes underneath the area where the sinkhole formed, adding that he was unsure when the road would reopen or how long repairs would take.
No injuries have been reported. The area will remain closed while repair work continues.
Pittsburg, PA
Pirates Secure Pitcher With 40-Man Roster Move
WASHINGTON — The Pittsburgh Pirates could’ve lost a pitcher they valued, but they made sure they didn’t let him go elsewhere.
The Pirates announced that they selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Noah Murdock to the 40-man roster and optioned him to Triple-A Indianapolis on July 5.
Pittsburgh needed room on their 40-man roster and did this by designating infielder Davis Wendzel for assignment.
The Pirates can now recall Murdock to the 26-man roster with this move and also move him between the minor leagues and major leagues as needed.
Why The Pirates Added Murdock to 40-Man Roster
It’s an interesting move from the Pirates, not one that necessarily has massive ramifications on the team, but more so from a contract stand point.
Murdock had an assignment clause in the minor league contract he signed with the Pirates this past offseason.
This allows another MLB team to add Murdock to their 26-man roster and the Pirates had to either let him go to that MLB team or put him on their 40-man roster. The Pirates doing so signals that there was interest of another team doing exactly this.
It is somewhat different than when a player exercises an upward mobility clause, which would’ve required the Pirates to add Murdock to their 26-man roster or let him go to another team, which they did with left-handed pitcher Joe La Sorsa, who they traded to the Boston Red Sox on June 4.
The Pirates decided that it was worth it to add him to their 40-man roster and let Wendzel go, who had played for them this season.
Pittsburgh selected Wendzel’s contract on June 7 and then after two games, optioned him back to Indianapolis on June 11.
Wendzel also went on the 7-day injured list on July 3, so the Pirates likely decided that they’d want a healthy minor leaguer on their 40-man roster rather than one who wasn’t.
What the Pirates Will Get From Murdock
There isn’t a guarantee that Murdock will play for the Pirates this season, but this move means that there’s always the possibility.
Murdock built back up this season, first pitching with Single-A Bradenton, then Double-A Altoona and with Indianapolis most recently.
He has posted a 2-2 record in 24 relief appearances with one start, with a 4.11 ERA over 30.2 innings pitched, 39 strikeouts to nine walks, a .223 batting average allowed (BAA) and a 1.11 WHIP.
Murdock has posted a 4.26 ERA over 11 relief appearances and 12.2 innings pitched with Indianapolis, with 21 strikeouts to four walks, a .245 BAA and a 1.26 WHIP.
Expect Murdock to throw one of three pitches in a cutter, sweeper or a sinker, but he does have a changeup and four-seam fastball in his arsenal as well.
Make sure to visit Pirates OnSI for the latest news, updates, interviews and insight on the Pittsburgh Pirates!
Follow
-
Pittsburg, PA2 minutes agoThe Eastman aims to reinvigorate an East Allegheny space with new energy
-
Augusta, GA5 minutes agoCrews battle fire along Boy Scout Road
-
Washington, D.C10 minutes agoWhite supremacist group demonstrates on Capitol Hill ahead of America 250 celebrations
-
Cleveland, OH17 minutes agoRittman police officer among 4 dead in Wayne County
-
Austin, TX20 minutes agoDinosaur Day Returns to Austin with Fossil Identifications, T. rex and Family Fun
-
Alabama25 minutes agoThe 5 most important position battles facing Kalen DeBoer, Alabama ahead of fall camp
-
Alaska32 minutes agoA sympathetic shooter and botched prosecution: How did Lovely Lois get away with murder in 1960s Anchorage?
-
Arizona33 minutes agoWhere to watch Arizona Diamondbacks vs San Diego Padres: TV channel, start time, streaming for July 6