Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents as he is helped off the stage at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., Saturday, July 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Two individuals injured during a campaign event, where an attempt was made on President Donald Trump’s life, have initiated legal action against the U.S. government.
James Copenhaver and David Dutch have each filed a lawsuit in the Western District of Pennsylvania, claiming they suffered “severe and grievous” injuries due to what they describe as the “negligence, recklessness, and/or carelessness” of the U.S. Secret Service and/or the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The incident took place on July 13, 2024, at the Butler Farm Show in Pennsylvania.
During the rally, Thomas Crooks attempted to assassinate President Trump, firing multiple shots, one of which narrowly missed the President’s ear. Crooks was subsequently neutralized by a sniper. In the ensuing chaos, firefighter Corey Comperatore was fatally shot while protecting his family, and the two plaintiffs sustained significant gunshot wounds, requiring hospitalization.
The claims assert that federal agents, employees, and contractors “completely failed to provide the necessary, proper, and timely security measures” and did not adequately fulfill their duties to prevent the incident, contributing to the circumstances that led to the shooting.
The lawsuits allege the assassination attempt on Trump’s life was “entirely preventable” and caused by the Secret Service’s “failures” in the days and hours leading up to the shooting.
“The defendant United States of America, by and through the [Secret Service], committed egregious failures and failed to abide by and adhere to various protocols, policies and procedures which directly and proximately caused the shooting and/or allowed it to occur,” the lawsuits read.
Each filing contains a lengthy list of such claimed failures that document no fewer than 51 total allegations against the agency.
The lawsuits go on to say the Secret Service failed to “secure the roof of a building and mitigate the line of sight threat posed by the building and those who might occupy or mount it.”
The plaintiffs also say the Secret Service and others failed to properly disseminate “critical security information” that would have allowed them to “locate and question the would be assassin.” Adding to the claimed communication breakdown, the Secret Service or others knew Crooks “was acting erratically, had used a range finder, and was the subject of a search in the hours leading up to the shooting.” Had those issues been dealt with properly, Trump’s security detail would have been alerted “more than two hours prior to the shooting.”
But there’s no need to take the plaintiffs’ word for it, the lawsuits add. The failures of that day have been admitted by the agency.
From the filings, at length:
Indeed, the [Secret Service] has itself acknowledged that its failures included “breakdowns in communication, technological issues, and human failure” all of which contributed to the shooting, and that its conduct constituted “an operational failure that the Secret Service will carry as a reminder of the critical importance of its zero-fail mission and the need for continuous improvement.” Further, numerous agents were held accountable for their acts and omissions, including suspension without pay, and those individuals were placed on restricted duty and/or moved into non-operational positions.
“Had the [Secret Service] followed mandatory policies and procedures the shooting would not have occurred, thereby saving Plaintiffs from a life altering tragedy which has resulted in significant, grievous and permanent personal and other injuries,” the lawsuits go on.
The filings largely differ in their detailed descriptions of each plaintiff’s wounds and subsequent health maladies.
Each injury section spans multiple pages and includes a number of highly specific medical terms. In short, Copenhaver’s lawsuit focuses on wounds to his abdomen and left arm while Dutch’s lawsuit seems to focus on wounds to his liver and ribs on his right side.
Due to the varying medical injury-and-procedure lists, Copenhaver’s filing is 35 pages long; Dutch’s filing is 36 pages long.
Each plaintiff is joined in the lawsuits by their wives — who have filed their own negligence count based on theories of loss of consortium, companionship, marital fellowship, and similar claims.
The lawsuits seek $150,000 in damages, interest, and attorneys fees.