Warren Commission (04 of 26): Hearings Vol. IV (of 15)United States. Warren Commission
History
Warren Commission (04 of 26): Hearings Vol. IV (of 15)
United States. Warren Commission
Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963 -- Assassination; Oswald, Lee Harvey
After the assassination and the murder of our officer, that our
officers had done a good job in making a quick apprehension of the
alleged person guilty of this, and that we will have to admit that
although we thought that adequate precautions had been taken for the
transfer of this prisoner, that one of our officers momentarily stepped
away from his post of duty, and that during this moment of negligence
on his part, as far as we could determine Ruby went down the ramp, the
Main Street ramp, and concealed himself behind some news media and
detectives and as Oswald was brought out he stepped forward and shot
him.
And if we had it to do over again, and I think this, that some policy
should be set up for the news media, whereby if anything of this
magnitude ever occurs again, that we would not be plagued by the
confusion present that was present at that time, and that the news
media should accept some of the responsibility for these things and
agree among themselves to have representatives that can report back to
them.
Mr. RANKIN. Chief Curry, I am not quite clear about the situation with
regard to your practices in the police force, and the news media.
I understand what happened, as you described it at the time of the
episodes that we have been going into, and I understand that you would,
if there was a matter of this magnitude again--you would expect and
want a very different change?
Mr. CURRY. Yes.
Mr. RANKIN. And eliminate the interference by the news media?
Mr. CURRY. That is right.
Mr. RANKIN. But what do you do now about the ordinary case? Have you
changed your practices about the media at all?
Mr. CURRY. Not the ordinary cases; no.
Mr. RANKIN. And do they use the radio and TV in the police headquarters?
Mr. CURRY. Yes, sir; they do.
Mr. RANKIN. And they, the reporters, come in, and it is just the
difference between a great many?
Mr. CURRY. And a few is what made the difference in this.
Mr. McCLOY. Do you permit reporters now to come in and interrogate
prisoners as they did in this case by holding a microphone up to their
mouth and saying, "How did you do it?"
Mr. CURRY. They do the same as they do here; on the way from the
interrogation room to the jail elevator as they pass by they might run
along and ask him questions and try to get him to answer.
Mr. RANKIN. That could be done today just the same?
Mr. CURRY. Yes, sir. Because we have no way of keeping them out of the
public halls.
Mr. RANKIN. Don't you have jurisdiction as chief of police to exclude
them if you thought it was the wise thing to do?
Mr. CURRY. Yes. Now if I had it to do over again, of course, I would
exclude it.
Mr. RANKIN. And you could do it today in the ordinary case if you
wanted to?
Mr. CURRY. I would probably have my hide taken off by the news media,
but I could do it.
Mr. RANKIN. So, it is really a problem of weighing what the media will
do to you against other considerations?
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