Warren Commission (07 of 26): Hearings Vol. VII (of 15)United States. Warren Commission
History
Warren Commission (07 of 26): Hearings Vol. VII (of 15)
United States. Warren Commission
Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963 -- Assassination; Oswald, Lee Harvey
Mr. OWENS. Acting lieutenant, Oak Cliff substation.
Mr. ELY. Because you were acting lieutenant in the Oak Cliff
substation, would that mean that Officer Tippit would be under your
supervision?
Mr. OWENS. That's true.
Mr. ELY. When and how did you first hear that there had been an
incident involving the President of the United States?
Mr. OWENS. I had eaten lunch and I was on the way back to the
substation--channel 1 was not working properly--some mike--or some
radio transmitter had left the mike open and I couldn't hear, and I
switched over to channel 2 and heard what sounded like Chief Curry say,
"It looks like the President has been hit," so, not knowing what he
had been hit with, I go in the substation and hear on the radio where
they are sending squads downtown to Elm and Houston, and I called the
dispatcher's office and wanted to know if they wanted me downtown. They
were very busy and never did answer me, so from that, I assumed that
there was a big incident involved and maybe the President had been
shot, so I leave 4020 West Illinois where the substation is located and
proceed to Elm and Houston, code 3.
Mr. ELY. And what does code 3 mean?
Mr. OWENS. It means emergency with red lights and siren on.
Mr. ELY. Thank you.
Mr. OWENS. I arrived at Elm and Houston, which is the location of
the Texas School Book Depository. Before I arrived, the squad was
dispatched to pick up a man--an officer on Stemmons, who had a colored
man, who had information regarding the shooting. Since I was close,
I stopped and picked up a colored man, a lady and two children, and
take them to Elm and Houston, and notified Inspector Sawyer of what I
had. He informed me to send them to the sheriff's office where they
had set up this interrogation room. I turned them over to a patrolman
there with the instructions to take them over to the sheriff's office.
I stayed with Inspector Sawyer until I was informed that there was a
shooting in Oak Cliff involving a police officer.
Mr. ELY. Do you recall the name of this colored man?
Mr. OWENS. No. I told Inspector Sawyer that I was assigned to Oak Cliff
and an officer was involved in the shooting, and I was taking off, so I
proceeded--I got in my car, and Captain Westbrook and Bill Alexander,
an assistant district attorney, also was in the car with me and we
started out to--I think the call came out at 400 East 10th or 400 East
Jefferson. There was confusion there where the situation was. It was
corrected and we went to the scene of the shooting.
Now, right there--here's where I'm not quite sure--I don't know whether
I was given the gun and all--but I believe I was given the gun and this
was Tippit's gun and shells.
Mr. ELY. Do you recall who gave them to you?
Mr. OWENS. No; some officer, but I don't know who it was.
Mr. ELY. And how long did you have the gun and shells in your custody?
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