PITTSBURGH — One year after the deadly shooting at then-presidential candidate Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Butler, a now-retired Pittsburgh police officer who was on duty that day is speaking out about the heroic actions of his cycle officers, and the criticism they received from the former chief and command staff.
On July 13, 2024, Trump was grazed in the ear by a bullet while speaking.
Corey Comperatore, who was attending the rally with his family, was shot and killed. Two others were wounded.
The shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Crooks of Bethel Park, managed to elude security, scale a building and fire the shots 150 yards away from the stage. Seconds later, he was killed by a Secret Service sharpshooter.
A number of Pittsburgh Police motorcycle officers escorted Trump to the rally that day.
The officers were just feet away when shots rang out, and sprang into action, risking their own lives. But instead of accolades, their supervisor says, they received backlash.
Chief Investigator Rick Earle sat down with the now-retired officer for an exclusive interview.
“At first, I thought somebody had gotten fireworks into the event,” said retired Pittsburgh police Lt. Chuck Henderson.
Henderson also thought it might have been part of the rally. He quickly realized it wasn’t.
“It took me a second to realize that it was gunfire, and what I had heard was a bullet landing on the piece of farm equipment about a foot above my head,” said Henderson.
Henderson said his motorcycle officers on duty that day immediately jumped into action. Some raced back behind the stage to secure Trump’s motorcade for a quick departure.
Others went directly into the stands to help the victims.
11 Investigates obtained video of the Pittsburgh police officers carrying the wounded to safety.
“Even though the gunfire was still raging, they went right into the stands,” Henderson said. “They went right after the people. They started carrying the wounded out.”
Earle: “What do you think about the actions of those officers?”
Henderson: “Heroic, heroic. They had no idea what they were going into. They didn’t know whether the gunfire had stopped, and quite honestly, nobody really knew where it was coming from at that time, at least on our side.”
Earle: “And those guys didn’t hesitate?”
Henderson: “They didn’t hesitate. They went directly into the stands and started helping people immediately.”
Four of the ten Pittsburgh cycle officers suffered minor injuries when bullets pierced hydraulic lines on nearby mechanical equipment and sent debris flying.
“A couple of the guys got hit with oil that was hot,” Henderson said. “A couple of them grabbed shrapnel. Actually, Cmdr. (Ray) Rippole was one of them. He got a piece of shrapnel in his face.”
At a news conference after the shooting, Earle questioned the chief about the motorcycle unit’s presence at the Trump rally.
Earle: “Was that motorcycle unit authorized to go to the Trump rally where he was shot? Were they authorized to go there?”
Scirotto: “Plain and simple, no.”
Days after the rally, then-Chief Scirotto said his officers didn’t have proper permission to be there.
Henderson denied that and said he did have authorization.
Henderson: “The commander that I was working for at the time was made aware.”
Earle: “He knew you were going to be there?”
Henderson: “Absolutely.”
Earle: “He knew you had been requested to be there?”
Henderson: “Absolutely. He was invited to the meeting from when we were requested.”
Scirotto then removed Henderson and a sergeant from the unit and eventually reassigned the cycles to the zone stations.
Sources told 11 Investigates at the time that the administration was upset because the cycle officers were with Trump and not Jill Biden, who was in Pittsburgh the same day, campaigning for her husband.
Henderson said other units, including the bomb squad, K-9 and SWAT, were all assigned to the Biden detail, along with two city cycle units and cycles from another police department.
Also, Henderson said the state police, who also had to cover a NASCAR race in the Poconos that same weekend, had requested Pittsburgh’s help to escort Trump from the airport to Butler and back.
“They found themselves with a staffing issue, and that’s why they asked for assistance,” Henderson said. “No way I’m telling the state police no, because when we’re chasing a guy in the woods that shot at one of my officers, yeah, I want their helicopter.”
Frustrated by the decision to disband the unit, Henderson retired after 32 years.
And to this day, he says the city has never acknowledged the officers’ actions.
Henderson: “Instead of recognizing the heroics of the officers that were on scene and realizing again that they had gone into harm’s way to help others, people that were injured.”
Earle: “They literally put their lives on the line?”
Henderson: “Absolutely they did. Absolutely they did. It was very disheartening. It was very disheartening.”
Henderson also acknowledged the brave actions of officers from a number of other departments who were there that day.
Several months after the rally, Chief Scirotto retired to return to officiating college basketball.
The next acting chief, Chris Ragland, retired earlier this year.
The new acting chief, Marty Devine, recently reinstated the motorcycle unit.
Sources said he realizes the importance of the specialty unit.
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