Mr. Ball.

Would you please stand up and be sworn?
Do you solemnly swear the testimony you are about to give before the Commission will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

Mr. Westbrook.

I do.

Mr. Ball.

Will you state your name, please?

Mr. Westbrook.

W. R. Westbrook.

Mr. Ball.

And what is your address?

Mr. Westbrook.

At the present time it is 7642 Daingerfield, Apartment C, and another address is Route 2, Quinton. I live at both of them.

Mr. Ball.

What is your business or occupation?

Mr. Westbrook.

Captain of police.

Mr. Ball.

The Commission has asked us to put something in the record about everybody's past experience. Can you tell me about where you were born--they don't get to take a look at you, so they would like to read about you.

Mr. Westbrook.

I was born in Benton, Ark., November 9, 1917. I was a farm boy and came to Dallas in 1937, and went on the police department June 13, 1941, and I served as a radio patrolman for approximately 4 years, promoted to sergeant, and was a sergeant for about 6 or 7 years, and was promoted to captain in 1952, and have held that position since.

Mr. Ball.

What are your duties in general, captain?

Mr. Westbrook.

At the present time I am personnel officer. We conduct all background investigations of applicants, both civilian and police, and then we make-- we investigate all personnel complaints--not all of them, but the major ones.

Mr. Ball.

Do you wear a uniform?

Mr. Westbrook.

Well, it is optional. I don't wear one.

Mr. Ball.

On November 22, 1963, were you assigned any special duty?

Mr. Westbrook.

No, sir; other than just my own routine duties.

Mr. Ball.

What were those duties that day?

Mr. Westbrook.

8:15 to 5:15.

Mr. Ball.

And were you in uniform on that day?

Mr. Westbrook.

No, sir.

Mr. Ball.

Where were you when you heard the President had been shot?

Mr. Westbrook.

I was in my office and Mrs. Kinney, one of the dispatchers, came into the office and told us, and of course it's the same as everybody says--we didn't believe it until a second look at her and I realized it was so, and so, there's a little confusion right here because everybody became rather excited right quick, but somebody, and I don't know who it was, came into my office and said they needed some more men at this Texas Depository Building.
You know, I didn't review my report before I came over here I didn't have a chance. I just came off of vacation and they hit me with this this morning as soon as I got to the office. I can't recall whether or not it was the dispatcher's office, but I think it was--somebody in the dispatcher's office had told us they needed some more men at the Texas Depository Building, so I sent the men that were in my office, which were then Sergeants Stringer and Carver, and possibly Joe Fields and McGee, if they were in there it seems like McGee was, and I think--I sent them to the building, and then I walked on down the hall spreading the word and telling the other people that they needed some men down there, and practically everybody left immediately. I sat around a while really not knowing what to do because of the--almost all of the commanding officers and supervisors were out of the city hall and I finally couldn't stand it any longer, so I started to the Texas Depository Building, and believe it or not, I walked. There wasn't a car available, and so I walked from the city hall to the Depository Building, and I would stop on the way down where there would be a group of people listening to somebody's transistor radio and I would stop and catch a few false reports, you might say, at that time, until I reached the building.
Do you want me to continue on?

Mr. Ball.

Go right ahead, sir.

Mr. Westbrook.

After we reached the building, or after I reached the