Report of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. KennedyUnited States. Warren Commission
History
Report of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy
United States. Warren Commission
Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963 -- Assassination; Oswald, Lee Harvey
On arriving in the basement, Pierce asked Sgts. James A. Putnam and
Billy Joe Maxey to accompany him in the lead car. Since the armored
truck was blocking the Commerce Street ramp, it would be necessary to
drive out the Main Street ramp and circle the block to Commerce Street.
Maxey sat on the back seat of Pierce’s car, and Putnam helped clear a
path through reporters on the ramp so that Pierce could drive up toward
Main Street. When the car passed by the reporters at about 11:20 a.m.,
Putnam entered the car on the right front side. Pierce drove to the
top of the Main Street ramp and slowed momentarily as Patrolman Roy
E. Vaughn stepped from his position at the top of the ramp toward the
street to watch for traffic.[C5-129] After Pierce’s car left the garage
area, Brown drove another police car out of the garage, moved part way
up the Commerce Street ramp, and began to back down into position to
receive Oswald. Dhority also proceeded to drive the followup car into
position ahead of Brown.[C5-130]
As Pierce’s car started up the ramp at about 11:20 a.m., Oswald,
accompanied by Captain Fritz and four detectives, arrived at the jail
office. Cameramen in the hallway of the basement took pictures of
Oswald through the interior glass windows of the jail office as he was
led through the office to the exit.[C5-131] Some of these cameramen
then ran through the double doors near the jail office and squeezed
into the line which had formed across the Main Street ramp.[C5-132]
Still others remained just inside the double doors or proceeded through
the double doors after Oswald and his escort emerged from the jail
office.[C5-133] (See Commission Exhibit No. 2177, p. 217.)
When Fritz came to the jail office door, he asked if everything was
ready, and a detective standing in the passageway answered yes.[C5-134]
Someone shouted, “Here he comes!”; additional spotlights were turned on
in the basement, and the din increased. A detective stepped from the
jail office and proceeded toward the transfer car. Seconds later Fritz
and then Oswald, with Detective Leavelle at his right, Detective L. C.
Graves at his left, and Detective L. D. Montgomery at his rear, came
through the door. Fritz walked to Brown’s car, which had not yet backed
fully into position; Oswald followed a few feet behind. Newsmen near
the double door moved forward after him.[C5-135] Though movie films
and video tapes indicate that the front line of newsmen along the Main
Street ramp remained fairly stationary, it was the impression of many
who were close to the scene that with Oswald’s appearance the crowd
surged forward. According to Detective Montgomery, who was walking
directly behind Oswald, “as soon as we came out this door * * * this
bunch here just moved in on us.”[C5-136] To Detective B. H. Combest,
standing on the Commerce Street side of the passageway from the jail
office door, it appeared that
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