Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones slammed reports alleging that Deputy Kinlee Hoyle emailed Thomas Matthew Crooks, the man shot and killed after allegedly trying to assassinate Donald Trump when he was on his presidential campaign.
“Earlier today, a completely false “news” story was circulated online that named Butler County Deputy Kinlee Hoyle of Ohio in connection with the tragic attempted assassination of President Donald Trump in Butler County, Pennsylvania. Irresponsible reporting like this is unacceptable and places officers at risk. We should expect and demand better from our news media,” he wrote on X. The sheriff tagged David J Harris Jr, who has a segment on NewsMax.
Harris Jr, who has often expressed pro-Trump sentiments, had written on the Elon Musk-owned platform that Hoyle had had prior communication with Crooks.
Also Read | Thomas Crook to Cole Allen: List of people charged with Trump assassination attempts
“Newly released FBI records obtained by Judicial Watch reveal that Deputy Kinlee Hoyle had two email exchanges with Thomas Matthew Crooks prior to the July 13, 2024 assassination attempt on President Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania. The emails’ content remains heavily redacted, but the deputy confirmed the communications in post-incident interviews. This adds another layer of questions about pre-rally interactions between law enforcement and the shooter,” he had said.
Initially, it was Joe Hoft of The Gateway Pundit, a conservative news site, that reported on emails sent from the Butler Sheriff’s Office to Thomas Crooks, prior to the assassination attempt on Trump. As per the report, a FBI electronic communication helped show that Butler County Sheriff’s Office exchanged two emails with Thomas Matthew Crooks prior to the July 13, 2024 assassination attempt.
However, the report did not mention Hoyle. Amid the row over Hoyle and questions about what unfurled in Pennsylvania, here’s all you need to know about the Butler County Deputy.
Deputy Kinlee Hoyle: 5 things to know
- Hoyle is from Ohio and graduated from Butler Tech Police Academy.
- Hoyle was serving as a corrections officer in the sheriff’s office, Butler Tech’s alumni page notes. Speaking of working in jail, Hoyle said “I really liked working in the jail.”
- Hoyle’s father was also in law enforcement and was a source of inspiration for her. “The first thing that inspired me was my dad. He’s also in law enforcement, so it runs through my blood,” she shared.
- After graduation, Hoyle was sworn into the Butler County Sheriff’s Office Road Patrol Division. Sheriff Jones had words of praise for her at the time. “After an extensive review of many qualified candidates for the Butler County Sheriff’s Office Road Patrol Division, Deputy Kinlee Hoyle stood out as our top choice. Her drive to achieve her goals was evident in her attitude, her physical readiness, and her genuine compassion for serving others. Kinlee represents the very best of what Butler Tech develops in their graduates—strong work ethic, professional, and a commitment to better the community she calls home,” he had said.
- Hoyle is a powerlifter. “I’ve squatted 336 pounds, deadlifted 352, and bench 166 pounds. I love the community that it brings,” she had shared.
