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Trump given handcuffs used in arrest of assassination attempt suspect

By Ashleigh Fields - 9/18/24, 2:01 PM EDT

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Martin County Sheriff deputies signed and donated the handcuffs used to apprehend Ryan Wesley Routh, the suspect in the second assassination attempt of former President Trump.

“That's good-looking human beings," Trump said about local law enforcement officials while walking into the arranged lunch meeting on Tuesday.

The officers met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Wednesday alongside Sheriff William Snyder and Chief Deputy John Budensiek.

Routh was taken into custody after being stopped on Interstate 95 after FBI agents spotted him with an SKS-style rifle at Trump International Golf Club on Sunday. State and local law enforcement are still working to gather more information for the ongoing federal investigation. 

Routh is currently facing charges for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon along with possession and receipt of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. During a press conference Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said Routh would also likely face state charges.

"I could not be more proud of my crew," Snyder told WPTV Tuesday. "I talked to the [former] president today, and he told me specifically that he can rest easier knowing that someone who was about to kill him, or try to kill him, was in custody. To me, that's as rewarding as anything I've ever done."

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