The wife of former Trump presidential campaign chief Brad Parscale told Florida cops that he “hits her” and that he was suicidal, according to a police report written after authorities took Parscale to a hospital for evaluation.
Cops also seized 10 firearms, including several rifles, after officers took Parscale into custody Sunday at his Fort Lauderdale home, according to the police report obtained by NBC News.
The report reveals that Candice Parscale called police that afternoon after Brad Parscale, following “a verbal altercation,” loaded a round of ammunition in a gun that he was holding “in front of her.”
Candice “immediately fled residence and stated she heard a loud bang shortly after,” the report said.
Candice said she and a Realtor who was with her “realized that Bradley did not shoot himself when they heard Bradley ranting and pacing around the residence and the dog barking” frantically, the report said.
“However, they were concerned that Bradley might still try to shoot himself.”
Candice Parscale told police that her 44-year-old husband, who in July was deposed from his role of overseeing President Donald Trump‘s campaign and replaced by Bill Stepien, has been “depressed and suicidal recently.”
Candice said “this has led him to consume alcohol a lot more frequently and make suicidal statements,” according to a cop who spoke to her.
Parscale in recent months has served Trump’s campaign as a senior advisor for digital and data.
When police showed up at the Parscale home Sunday after Candice called to home to say that he was armed and threatening to harm himself, an officer called Brad several times and tried to get him to leave the house.
“However, he declined and remained inside the residence,” the officer wrote. “Bradley`s speech was slurred as though he was under the influence of an alcoholic beverage and he seemed to be crying.”
The police report said that during negotiations at the house, Brad Parscale “appeared aggressive as he consistantly [sic] spoke in a yelling and highly agitated tone and would not meet with officers away from his residence.”
At one point during the standoff, Parscale was seen by police sitting at the front door of his residence, drinking a beer and “talking to himself.”
But he was eventually convinced to leave the residence after crisis negotiators and a SWAT team were called to the scene.
Police then took him to a hospital under the Baker Act, a mental health law that allows for involuntary and voluntary admittance to a health-care facility.
The police report says that an officer noticed bruises on Candice Parscale at the scene.
A cop wrote on the report that “while speaking with Candice Parscale I noticed several large sized contusions on both of her arms, her cheek and forehead.”
“When I asked how she received the bruising, [Candice] Parscale stated Brad Parscale hits her,” the officer wrote.
“She advised [the bruises] occurred a few days ago, during a physical altercation with Bradley, which she did not report,” the police report said.
Brad Parscale stands 6-foot-8-inches tall.
Candice “stated that Bradley has been stressed out for the past two weeks and has made
suicidal comments throughout the week to shoot himself. Bradley did not make any suicidal comments today,” the officer wrote.
“However [Candice] was concerned for his safety. [Candice] advised Bradley drinks and he ‘suffers from ‘PTSD’ [post-traumautic stress disorder].”
In a statement issued before the police report was released, Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh said 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,” Murtaugh said. “The disgusting, personal attacks from Democrats and disgruntled RINOs [Republicans in Name Only] have gone too far, and they should be ashamed of themselves for what they’ve done to this man and his family.”
Murtaugh did not immediately respond to a query from CNBC about the claim in the police report by Candice Parscale that Brad hits her.
