What to Know
- President Trump's former campaign manager Brad Parscale was hospitalized following an incident at his Fort Lauderdale home Sunday
- Parscale's wife told officers he had made suicidal comments about shooting himself in recent weeks, according to a police report
- Parscale, 44, was hospitalized under the state's Baker Act. Police said they took possession of 10 weapons from the home
President Donald Trump’s former campaign manager Brad Parscale had been "stressed out" and made suicidal comments about shooting himself in recent weeks before he was hospitalized following an incident at his Fort Lauderdale home Sunday, his wife told investigators.
Candice Parscale called police Sunday afternoon after a verbal altercation with her husband at their home on DeSota Drive, according to a report of the incident released by Fort Lauderdale Police Monday.
She told police she fled the home after he loaded a firearm in front of her then said she heard a loud bang and called 911, the report said.
She said she realized he didn't shoot himself when she heard him ranting and pacing around the residence and heard their dog barking frantically, but was still concerned he might try to shoot himself, the report said.
Officers responded and called Parscale and tried to have him leave the home but he declined, the report said.
"Bradley's speech was slurred as though he was under the influence of an alcoholic beverage and he seemed to be crying," the report said.
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Candice Parscale said her husband has been stressed out for the past two weeks and has made suicidal comments throughout the week to shoot himself, the report said. She added that he drinks and "suffers from PTSD," the report said.
Parscale was eventually convinced to leave the home and was taken into custody. Officers took possession of 10 weapons, including handguns, shotguns and rifles, that were in the home, the report said.
Fort Lauderdale Police also released officer body camera footage of the incident. The footage shows Parscale's wife talking about the incident with officers outside the home and one officer speaking with him over the phone.
The footage later shows a shirtless Parscale come out of the home to speak with an officer before he's tackled to the ground by another officer and put in handcuffs.
The 44-year-old was hospitalized under the state’s Baker Act. That act allows anyone deemed to be a threat to themselves or others to be detained for 72 hours for psychiatric evaluation.
“Brad Parscale is a member of our family and we love him,” said Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh. “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.
Parscale was originally hired to run Trump’s 2016 campaign by Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law. While the Republican National Committee owns most of the campaign’s data, voter modeling and outreach tools, Parscale ran most of the microtargeted online advertising that Trump aides believe was key to his victory four years ago, according to the Associated Press.
Under the state's Red Flag Law, officials could ask a judge to bar Parscale from possessing any weapons for up to a year.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or reach out to the Crisis Text Line by texting ‘Home’ to 741741.
