Authorities have released bodycam footage of the moment Ryan Wesley Routh, the alleged would-be assassin of Donald Trump, was arrested. The 58-year-old is seen in the video walking backward with his arms raised and his t-shirt lifted above his head moments before being handcuffed on Interstate 95 in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday afternoon.
Routh was arrested a little over an hour after aiming a rifle through a fence in an attempt to assassinate the Trump while he played golf. Authorities were able to locate him thanks to a witness who spotted him escaping in a stolen black Nissan SUV and provided the license plate number to the police.
Moment of Capture
"Driver, walk straight back. Keep walking," a local law enforcement officer can be heard shouting before others raced in to cuff Routh, according to footage released by the Martin County Sheriff's Office.
Routh, still wearing his sunglasses, appeared to grin as he was taken away.
Authorities said that the suspect was captured about 40 minutes after fleeing from the sniper's position he had set up on the edge of Trump International West Palm Beach golf course.
Secret Service agents stationed a few holes ahead of where Trump was golfing noticed the barrel of his rifle sticking through the bushes lining the course, about 400 yards away.
When an agent fired, Routh allegedly dropped the rifle and jumped into a Nissan SUV, abandoning his weapon, two backpacks, and a GoPro camera, according to the criminal complaint.
When asked if he knew the reason for being stopped, the suspect "responded in the affirmative," according to the complaint.
The license plate on his vehicle had been reported stolen from another car. Phone records suggest that Routh had allegedly been hiding in the bushes for about 12 hours before the attempted ambush.
Trump Escaped Narrowly Again
Trump, 78, was unharmed and quickly escorted to safety by the Secret Service in another close call, less than two months after being shot in the ear during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Routh made a brief appearance in federal court in West Palm Beach on Monday.
Routh, dressed in black prison scrubs, had both his hands and feet shackled as he entered the Paul G. Rogers Federal Courthouse on Monday morning.
The hearing lasted eight minutes, during which Routh was charged with two counts: possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with a removed serial number.
It remains unclear how Routh obtained the rifle, especially since it is not legally available for purchase in Florida.
According to criminal charging documents released Monday, Routh had been positioned around the golf course from 1:59 a.m. until 1:31 p.m. on Sunday, when he fled the scene.
This new information implies that Routh had been watching the location for hours and may have known in advance that the former president would be golfing there on Sunday.
Witnesses in the courtroom reported that Routh spoke softly and said that he earns about $3,000 per month. He said he has no savings, real estate, or assets apart from his two trucks, which are in Hawaii and valued at around $1,000.
Routh also said that he occasionally helps support his 25-year-old son.
