Two individuals injured during an assassination attempt on Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally have initiated legal action against the federal government.
James Copenhaver and David Dutch filed separate, yet similar, lawsuits in the Western District of Pennsylvania on Monday, accusing the U.S. Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of severe negligence. According to the lawsuits, these agencies failed to adequately secure the Butler, Pennsylvania event, allowing shooter Thomas Crooks to exploit the AGR Complex roof.
The legal suits target the United States government, with both plaintiffs’ wives joining the proceedings.
The lawsuits reference Congressional investigations, noting Senate findings that criticized the USSS for significant lapses on the day of the assassination attempt. These investigations highlighted what was described as a “cascade of preventable failures” by the USSS, which allegedly facilitated the shooting incident in question.
David Dutch suffered an abdominal gunshot wound, necessitating several surgeries. Meanwhile, James Copenhaver was hit by two bullets, one in the abdomen and another in the arm, with some bullet fragments still embedded in his body, as detailed in his legal complaint.
Former President Donald Trump is rushed offstage by Secret Service agents during a rally in Butler, Pa., on July 13, 2024. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
The shooting occurred on July 13, 2024, during a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show grounds. Crooks grazed Trump’s ear with a bullet and was killed by a Secret Service sniper seconds after he opened fire from a nearby rooftop.
Corey Comperatore, a former volunteer fire chief who attended the event, was killed while shielding his family.
The lawsuits detail a “cascade of preventable failures” by the Secret Service that allowed the shooting to occur, specifically pointing to the failure to secure the complex roof despite warnings that it was a vulnerability.
James Copenhaver and David Dutch were shot and injured at a rally by Thomas Matthew Crooks on July 13. Both men are suing the federal government, alleging security failures by the U.S. Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security. (Fox News)
“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.
“The assassination attempt on President Trump’s life was entirely preventable and was caused, in whole or in part, by the failures of the USSS in the days leading up to the event as well as on the day of the assassination attempt,” the complaints continued.
In addition to security failures, the complaints argue that the Secret Service created an environment where critical information could not be shared because it established fragmented, separate command centers rather than a single unified post.
Then-Republican candidate Donald Trump is seen with blood on his face as Secret Service agents surround him and escort him off the stage at a campaign event at Butler Farm Show Inc. in Butler, Pa., on July 13, 2024, after shots were reported at the rally. (Rebecca Droke/AFP/Getty Images)
Agents also relied on inadequate communication methods, the lawsuits state, such as using cellphones to pass messages between trailers instead of utilizing centralized radio channels, which “severely impeded” the transmission of safety information.
The legal filings also note that authorities observed Crooks acting erratically, using a range finder, and becoming the subject of a search in the hours leading up to the shooting. The Secret Service has essentially admitted to these failures, the lawsuits argue.
David Dutch walks away from a Trump rally with visible gunshot wounds. (Republican Committee of Beaver County)
“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,’” they state. “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.”
Both lawsuits seek $150,000 in damages, as well as interest and attorney fees.
Fox News has reached out to the White House, Secret Service and DHS for comment.
<!–>
–>