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Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
Ryan W. Routh, suspected of attempting to assassinate Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf course in Palm City, Florida, U.S., September 15, 2024. (Reuters)
Bodycam video reveals the arrest of Ryan Routh, suspect in the attempted assassination of former President Trump in Florida, showing the dramatic moment of capture
The moment that US security officials arrested a suspect in an attempted assassination of former President Trump in Florida was captured on officer-worn bodycam video that was released Monday afternoon.
Ryan Routh, 58, was apprehended on Sunday on northbound Interstate 95 after deputies surrounded his vehicle, according to Martin County Sheriff Will Snyder. The footage shows deputies instructing Routh to walk backward with his hands on his head after he surrendered, Fox News reported.
BREAKING: Bodycam Footage RELEASED of The Martin County Sheriff’s Office ARRESTING Trump’s attempted assassin.Thank God President Trump is safe and God Bless our brave police officers!
With more information coming out, how was this even possible!? pic.twitter.com/w44BeOMq9g
— Brandon Tatum (@TheOfficerTatum) September 16, 2024
Routh is accused of lying in wait for Trump at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, armed with an SKS-style rifle. He allegedly fled the scene after Secret Service agents fired at him upon spotting the muzzle of his rifle through a chain-link fence while Trump was playing golf nearby.
Routh was arrested shortly after a witness provided authorities with a photo of his vehicle. Sheriff Snyder noted that it took deputies about two miles to gather resources to surround Routh’s vehicle and force it to stop. “He was smart; he was just driving with the flow of traffic,” Snyder said, suggesting that Routh may have thought he had escaped.
Routh appeared in federal court in West Palm Beach on Monday, facing charges of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. Additional federal charges are possible, and the initial charges will keep Routh in custody as the investigation continues.
