Warren Commission (06 of 26): Hearings Vol. VI (of 15)United States. Warren Commission
History
Warren Commission (06 of 26): Hearings Vol. VI (of 15)
United States. Warren Commission
Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963 -- Assassination; Oswald, Lee Harvey
Mr. COUCH. And--uh--I jumped out and ran back. So, I'd say not over a
minute and a half.
Mr. BELIN. And then you started taking general sweeping shots of the
area?
Mr. COUCH. Right.
Mr. BELIN. Were most of the shots directed at people along the side
there as to what their reactions were, or were most of the shots
directed at the School Book Depository Building?
Mr. COUCH. Mostly of the people standing around, the policemen and
shots such as this.
Mr. BELIN. In what direction, generally, would the camera have been
pointed, and where would you have been standing when you took these
pictures?
Mr. COUCH. Some of the pictures, I remember, the camera was pointing
south--because I was standing on the little knoll which is just at
the foot and west of the Depository Building, where the little park
area begins. There's a sidewalk that runs between the Book Depository
property, I would assume and the park. And I was standing on that
little sidewalk.
Mr. BELIN. And your camera was pointing south?
Mr. COUCH. Pointing south. That's right. Now, after I had taken I don't
know how many feet of film of people standing around, I--uh--we--I
think there was one or two other fellows with me and who they were,
now, I can't remember; they were photographers--we stopped a car
that was going by with a boy in it--a young boy of about high school
age--and asked him to take us out to Parkland. And as the car started
off, I started my camera and I have a sweeping shot moving west from
about--uh--maybe the middle of the Book Depository Building from ground
level on past the park area--a sweeping shot with the car moving.
Mr. BELIN. And that's about it insofar as the School Book Depository
Building is concerned?
Mr. COUCH. Well, no. After we got out to Stemmons--they'd set up a
roadblock just as you entered Stemmons Expressway.
Mr. BELIN. Uh-huh.
Mr. COUCH. We jumped out of the car and I took, I believe it was, a
2-inch lens shot of the Book Depository Building of the west wall.
Mr. BELIN. Of the west wall?
Mr. COUCH. Yes.
Mr. BELIN. Not of the front entrance?
Mr. COUCH. No.
Mr. BELIN. Is there any particular reason, Mr. Couch, why you didn't
take your first pictures of the School Book Depository Building itself
when you say you saw a rifle being withdrawn?
Mr. COUCH. Well, uh--as best I can recall, the excitement on the ground
of people running and policemen "revving" up their motorcycles--and
I have a real nice shot of a policeman running toward me with his
pistol drawn--the activity on the ground kept my attention. The reason
I did not stay and take pictures of the Depository Building--which I
had originally intended to do when I got out of the motorcade--was
that--uh--another cameraman from our station, A. J. L'Hoste--[spelling]
L-'-H-o-s-t-e--he came running up and--uh--when he ran up, why I said,
"You stay here and get shots of the building and go inside--and I'm
going to go back--I'm going to follow the President."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account