Did the eye-witness ESU guys describe the damaged tube ? Buffer tubes are made from 6061 Aluminum and house a coil steel spring, they are not plastic, and they are designed to take a thumping or two.
The Cop may have hit the rifle's receiver or mag, that would have disabled it from firing - and any lead splatter and accompanying tin roof bits could have sent fragments into Crooks' eyes / face - forcing him to duck / move.
It is possible, and yet something tells me we may never exactly know given how evidence and the body was handled. As for the shot from the ESU SWAT member, it is impressive given the scene of the high stakes event. And even if his shot hit not exactly where it was first described, he did very well under pressure of the crowd, the angle and focused timing (imo).
NEW: Newly uncovered footage appears to show would-be Trump assas*in Thomas Crooks spending his last hours on Earth walking around the Butler, PA rally location.
It appears that the original video came from a small business owner who was selling patriotic hats before the rally.…
Just out for a stroll. Well, if authentic, that is quite the close up of the doomed man.