Duke Lane Posted July 19, 2008 Share Posted July 19, 2008 Does anyone know of a resource that can provide a list of all of the officers who responded to either or both of the "Signal 19" (shooting) calls in downtown and/or Oak Cliff? I'm not having any luck and if it's already been done, I don't want to have to reinvent the wheel. Many thanks for any leads .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Scally Posted July 19, 2008 Share Posted July 19, 2008 Does anyone know of a resource that can provide a list of all of the officers who responded to either or both of the "Signal 19" (shooting) calls in downtown and/or Oak Cliff? I'm not having any luck and if it's already been done, I don't want to have to reinvent the wheel. Many thanks for any leads .... Duke: I don't think they are listed specifically, but a check of the 1970 Mary Ferrell/Arch Kimbrough transcripts indicates the following were the first to respond to the Signal 19 call to the Tippit shooting in Oak Cliff, between the time of the shooting and 1:34 pm - 69 - Ptlm. A.R. Brock 211 - Ptlm. R. Hawkins 85 - Ptlm. R.W. Walker 105 - Ptlm. J.M. Poe and L.E. Jez 19 - Sgt Owens 91 - Ptlm W.D. Mentzel 279 - Ptlm. J.R. Mackey (or J.T. Griffin) 550 Car 2 - Sgt. Hill 111 - Ptlm. J.G. Pollard 244 - Ptlm. L.D. Wilson 79 - Ptlm. B. Anglin 412 - CID 76 - Ptlm. H. Horn 16 - Sgt. Shipley 77 - Ptlm W.E. Smith 93 Ptlm. H.M. Ashcroft 95 - Ptlm. M.N. McDonald and T.R. Gregory 221 - Ptlm. H.W. Summers 223 - Ptlm C.T. Walker 87 - Ptlm. R.C. Nelson 66 - Ptlm. F. S. Williams Is this what you are looking for? I could go through the transcripts for the respondees to the Dealey Plaza shooting as well, if you wish, although it may take a few days. Chris Scally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duke Lane Posted July 19, 2008 Author Share Posted July 19, 2008 Is this what you are looking for? I could go through the transcripts for the respondees to the Dealey Plaza shooting as well, if you wish, although it may take a few days. It's a start, Chris, and I appreciate the effort! One of the problems, of course, is that several officers went to either location without indicating that on the radio (Paul Bentley in Oak Cliff, for example, and another whose 3-wheeler broke down and he rode with two others), or only were clear about where they'd gone after the fact (R.C. Nelson at the TSBD, for one). I was kind of hoping that someone had gone through the transcripts as well as the "after action" reports and testimonies to come up with a list or lists. That could take more than just "a few days!!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack White Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 I remember that officer Bob Apple was at the Texas Theater, because he was the boyfriend of the sister of a friend's wife. Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duke Lane Posted July 20, 2008 Author Share Posted July 20, 2008 (edited) I remember that officer Bob Apple was at the Texas Theater, because he was the boyfriend of the sister of a friend's wife. Now there's an interesting character, Jack! Can you expound upon that? How about lunch to discuss? Edited July 20, 2008 by Duke Lane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Thomas Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 Duke, Does anyone know of a resource that can provide a list of all of the officers who responded to either or both of the "Signal 19" (shooting) calls in downtown and/or Oak Cliff? I'm not having any luck and if it's already been done, I don't want to have to reinvent the wheel. Many thanks for any leads .... Based on the Channel 1 transcripts, these are the people I could discern were either directed to go downtown, or volunteered to go. I was surprised to learn that the first call for officers to report downtown wasn't sent out until 12:41. The first three units listed were directed to cut traffic at Stemmons and Inwood between the 12:35 and 12:39 mark. The dispatcher stopped sending officers downtown right about the time of the Tippit shooting. Then there was a flurry of activity aroung the 2:00 time frame when people were seen in boxcars at the rear of the TSBD. The officers are listed according to when they appear on the transcripts and are from the Channel 1 transcripts only. I haven't looked at the Channel 2 transcripts. There are also officers calling in and reporting themselves "clear", but I don't know where they were clearing from, so I didn't list them. Steve Thomas 21 Ptm. D.P. Tucker (and) C. R. Graham 24 Ptm. D. L Pate 93 Ptm. Holly M. Ashcraft 15, Car 2 Capt. J. M. Souter 101 Ptm. B. L. Bass 43 Ptm. P. R. Wilkins (see 55) 102 Ptm. B. L. Jones (and) M. D. Noll 233 Ptm. J. T. Fortsen 61 Ptm. C. W. Temple (and) R. E. Vaughn 77 Ptm. Walter E. Smith 63 unknown 76 Ptm. Henry H. Horn 97 unknown 100 Sgt. W. G. Jennings 113 Ptm. C. L. Osburn 153 Motorcycle Ptm. J. W. Courson 66 Ptm. Frank S. Williams 531 Sgt. G.D. Henslee 77 Ptm. Walter E. Smith 116 Ptm. R. J. Ross 105 Ptm. J. M. Poe (and) L. E. Jez 231 unknown 550, Car 2 Sgt. G. L Hill also shared by R.D. Stringer 174 Ptm. J. W. Brooks 212 Ptm. L. W. Spredlin 223 Ptm. C. T. Walker 40 Sgt. D. F. Flusche 22 Ptm. Leonard L. Hill 87 Ptm. R. C. Nelson 116 Ptm. R. J. Ross 19 Sgt. C. B. Owens 60 Sgt. J. A. Putnam 115 Ptm. G. D. Benningfield 15 Capt. C. E. Talbert 5 Dep. Chief G. L. Lumpkin 252 Ptm. F. T. Chance 79 Ptm. Billy W. Anglin 49 Ptm. C. R. Galbreath 35 Ptm. J. M. Lewis 174 Ptm. J. W. Brooks 263 Ptm. W. C. Brasher 569. DIS: Who's with you? 570. 263: Moore and Murdoch, radio patrolmen. 610. T/O: Traffic Officer to dispatcher. 611. DIS: Go ahead. 612. T/O: I have an eye witness over here that saw the President get hit. 614. DIS: What radio are you using, traffic officer? 615. T/O: I'm using a three-wheel radio. 312 Det. L D. Montgomery (and) L. C. Graves (and) 100 Sgt. W. G. Jennings 652. 15: Call two of the canine units back in -- Norman's dog and the sergeant's dog. Call them back in, if you will. 260 Sgt. D. V. Harkness 508 Crime Lab. W. E. Barnes 492 CID (Carroll and Lyons) 388 CID 305 Det. Landle (and) Beck (and) Boyce 386 Ptm. P. R. Peace 309 Det. Blessing (and) Brown (and) Dherity (and) Det. W.W. ('Woody') Tippett, member of the Special Assignement Detail, Traffic Division (The next two were the dog handlers) 29 Ptm. J. M. Williams 99 Ptm. S. E. Norman 69 Ptm. A. R. Brock 9 Insp. J. H. Sawyer 443 Lt. Wallace (at 2:10 PM he was reported to be at the Sheriff’s office) 607 Ambulance This is interesting. I hadn’t heard before that an ambulance was called to the county jail at about 2:07 PM These guys responded to a report of people being seen in the boxcars: 392 CID 241 Ptm. J. P. Hollingsworth 224 Ptm. L. D. Wilson E.L. Holloway ? 375 unknown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duke Lane Posted July 21, 2008 Author Share Posted July 21, 2008 Wow, Steve, that's some work!! Find a place to put this permanently! I've added some comments/corrections based on my most recent studies, do with as you like. Based on the Channel 1 transcripts, these are the people I could discern were either directed to go downtown, or volunteered to go. I was surprised to learn that the first call for officers to report downtown wasn't sent out until 12:41. The first three units listed were directed to cut traffic at Stemmons and Inwood between the 12:35 and 12:39 mark. ... There are also officers calling in and reporting themselves "clear", but I don't know where they were clearing from, so I didn't list them. "Clear" generally means "available for duty," but was sometimes used as an equivalent to "out," meaning "out of service" for any reason. 21 Ptm. D.P. Tucker (and) C. R. Graham24 Ptm. D. L Pate 93 Ptm. Holly M. Ashcraft These guys were actually part of what I refer to as the "wild ambulance chase" because there was no ambulance heading to Parkland from Dealey Plaza (the one carrying the epileptic had long since arrived). Dispatchers kept up the pretense until a Sergeant demanded a location, at which point these guys were sent downtown. 550, Car 2 Sgt. G. L Hill also shared by R.D. Stringer Stringer was assigned call sign 551, but didn't use it that day because for the most part, he was with Capt Westbrook (550). 35 Ptm. J. M. Lewis Lewis didn't go downtown right away, and it's not even certain that he ever did other than that he said he was going to ... within five minutes of being told to "remain in service" in his patrol district ... which he wasn't even close to! Part of the problem - by no means intended to disparage this work - is that a lot of officers went there (and to Oak Cliff) without ever saying so on the radio. Just off the top of my head, Jim M. Valentine #104 also went to DP, but did not call in (although 550/2's transmission indicates "550/2 and 104 en route to Elm and Houston, Code 3"), and Capt. Westbrook #550 actually walked to DP so didn't even have a radio to call in on! Of course, Capt. Fritz was also there, but did not radio either his arrival or his departure. You'd never be able know these things without reading testimonies and reports. Of course, this also doesn't include the officers (see CD81b) who were assigned to DP at the tail end of the motorcade, those who were just a block or two away and may have gone when they heard the shots, or any of the sheriff's deputies who were watching from in front of DCSO at Main and Houston. For my immediate purposes, it may be sufficient just to note the number who responded to the Signal 19 call, and note the officers assigned to parade duty in DP and the sheriff's deputies ...? For the sake of adding to the list, this is an initial and incomplete list of the 20+ officers who reported to the Oak Cliff Signal 19, more or less in the order they arrived: 105 - Ptm. J.M. Poe (and) L.E. Jez 19 - Sgt. C.B. Owens 211 - Ptm. Ray Hawkins (and) Baggett 85 - Ptm. R.W. Walker 91 - Ptm. W.D. Mentzel (85 & 91 were already in Oak Cliff) 75 - Ptm. E.G. Sebastian 76 - Ptm. H.H. Horn 16 - Sgt. R.D. Shipley 77 - Ptm. W.E. Smith 93 - Ptm. H.M. Ashcraft 79 - Ptm. B.N. Anglin 95 - Ptm. M.N. McDonald 221 - Ptm. H.W. Summers 223 - Ptm. C.T. Walker ??? - Ptm. T.A. Hutson 111 - Ptm. J.G. Pollard 22 - Ptm. L.L. Hill 550 - Capt. W.R. Westbrook (and) Sgt. R.D. Stringer (and another unnamed officer) 550/2 - Sgt. G.L. Hill 15 - Capt. C.E. Talbert In addition, Dets. Lyon and Carroll and Sgt. Paul Bentley were in the area, along with FBI SA Bob Barrett, and R.C. Nelson (87) also arrived there, albeit after Oswald's arrest. Supposedly, R.W. Courson was also there - I've read somewhere he was the first on the scene - and he is listed both as being #153 (on motorcycle) and as a trainee under W.D. Mentzel. Finally(?), according to Sgt. Hill, a patrolman Bob Apple (#243?) was also there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Thomas Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 Capt. Westbrook #550 actually walked to DP so didn't even have a radio to call in on! Poe and Jez apparently walked there too. At around 12:47 they radioed in: 105: We're going to be out at Jackson and Houston. Walk up there. Steve Thomas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Thomas Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 Duke, Duke,The officers are listed according to when they appear on the transcripts and are from the Channel 1 transcripts only. I haven't looked at the Channel 2 transcripts. This is what I picked up from the Channel 2 transcripts: 190 Sgt. S.Q. Bellah 142 Ptm Haygood 22 Ptm L.L. Hill 137 Ptm E.D. Brewer 250 Sgt. W.A. Simpso9 Inspector Sawyer 39 Pt. J. Butcher (he drove some SS Agents downtown at 1:09 PM 243 Ptm B.L. Apple Steve Thomas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duke Lane Posted July 22, 2008 Author Share Posted July 22, 2008 Poe and Jez apparently walked there too. At around 12:47 they radioed in: 105: We're going to be out at Jackson and Houston. Walk up there. True, but that was only two or three blocks. See map here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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