Video shows arrest of suspect in alleged Trump assassination attempt

STEWART, Fla. — A man has been arrested in connection with apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump followed the sheriff's orders and was taken into custody without incident, according to video of the arrest released Monday.

The Martin County Sheriff's Office released the footage less than 24 hours after a shooting occurred near Trump's Florida golf course where the former president was playing.

Body camera footage showed several armed police officers and sheriff's deputies confronting 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh.

“Driver, take two steps to the right! Take two steps to the right! Driver, go straight ahead, keep going,” the unidentified deputy could be heard and seen yelling at the suspect.

Law enforcement officers search the area around the Trump International Golf Club (Joe Radle/Getty Images)Law enforcement officers search the area around the Trump International Golf Club (Joe Radle/Getty Images)

Law enforcement officers search the area around Trump International Golf Club on September 15, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida.

At that moment, a man appeared in the camera's field of view, wearing a T-shirt pulled over his head and exposing his stomach, with his hands raised.

The video shows two law enforcement officers grabbing his arms and handcuffing him.

Martin County Sheriff William Snyder told NBC News that the deputy who was yelling instructions was the one who spotted Routh's car and initiated the stop.

Once Routh was taken into custody, the arresting deputy stayed with the suspect, turning on his body camera in case he made any incriminating statements, Snyder said.

Raut faces charges of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, officials said.

He was arrested Sunday while driving on Interstate 95. A witness who spotted Routt and his car played a critical role in helping law enforcement quickly find the suspect, officials said.

“If the witness hadn't seen him and taken a picture of the car and given us the license plate … I would say he would be home right now, relaxing and drinking a margarita,” Snyder told NBC News.

The sheriff added that it was to the advantage of law enforcement that Rout did not know he was being pursued.

“He was just going with the flow of traffic. Yeah, I think he would have thought he could get away with it,” Snyder told reporters earlier Monday. “Of course, he couldn't have known that there was a witness who actually did the right thing, took a picture of him, took a picture of the tag. And he was just going to drive back to where he came from.”

The sheriff said he wanted to know how a gunman could have ended up within a few hundred feet of the former president.

“I think that’s the question that the FBI (and) the Secret Service are focused on today. Is this guy part of a conspiracy? Is he a lone gunman?” Snyder said. “If he’s a lone gunman, President Trump is a lot safer because we have him. But if he’s part of a conspiracy, then this really takes on a very sinister tone.”

Jesse Kirsch and Carmen Gonzalez reported from Stuart, Florida, and David K. Lee reported from New York.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com

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