FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – President Donald Trump’s former campaign manager Brad Parscale had made suicidal comments about shooting himself in recent days, his wife Candice told police before they took him into custody under the Baker Act at his Fort Lauderdale home Sunday.
According to a report from Fort Lauderdale Police, Candice Parscale also had “several bruises on both of her arms as well as scratches and bruising on her face” which she told an officer she suffered a few days ago during a physical altercation with her husband.
Fort Lauderdale Police also released bodyworn camera footage of Parscale, 44, being taken down and cuffed. He’s repeatedly heard saying, “I didn’t do anything.”
On Sunday afternoon, Candice Parscale called 911 and reported that her husband possibly shot himself in a suicide attempt at their home on Desota Drive in the upscale Seven Isles neighborhood.
“Candace advised after a verbal altercation, Bradley manipulated his slide to the rear loading his firearm in front of her,” the police incident report reads. (The report spelled her first name “Candace.”)
“Candace immediately fled [the] residence and stated she heard a loud bang shortly after," the incident report continued. “Candace stated that they realized that Bradley did not shoot himself when they heard Bradley ranting and pacing around the residence and the dog barking franticly. However, they were concerned that Bradley might still try to shoot himself, due to him being in possession of several firearms and refusing to vacate the residence.”
(WARNING: Video below includes profanity)
Responding officer Timothy Skaggs said he made contact with Brad Parscale on the phone, trying to get him to leave the home.
“[Parscale’s] speech was slurred as though he was under the influence of an alcoholic beverage and he seemed to be crying,” Skaggs wrote in his report. “Due to his refusal [to] exit the residence on his own free will and his emotional state, crisis negotiators were requested.”
Candice Parscale told police that her husband has been stressed out for the past two weeks and has made suicidal comments throughout the week about shooting himself, but that he had not made any suicidal comments that day. She said that her husband drinks and “suffers from PTSD.”
Ultimately, an officer named Christopher Wilson, who is a personal friend of Parscale’s, helped get him out of the house, police say. Once outside, the 6-foot-8 Parscale was taken down by another officer who said he used a “double leg takedown” after Parscale didn’t comply with commands to get on the ground.
Wilson wrote that “Brad was drinking a beer and was clearly intoxicated.”
Police transported Parscale to Broward Health Medical Center under the Baker Act, which allows anyone deemed to be a threat to themselves or others to be detained for 72 hours for psychiatric evaluation.
Authorities also took possession of 10 guns that Parscale had in the home.
A statement sent Sunday by Trump’s campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh said: “Brad Parscale is a member of our family and we all love him. We are ready to support him and his family in any way possible.”
Parscale was demoted from the campaign manager’s post in July but remained part of the campaign, helping run its digital operation.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 or text “Home” to 741741.