Captain Fritz. I had turned toward my car to reach for the door to open the rear door, and I just told the two officers to put him right here in the rear of the car when I heard the shot. Mr. Dhority was sitting at the wheel. He was backing my car back, and he was being hindered in backing the car by people getting around and behind it—both officers and other people. And as I started to reach for the door, the shot was fired.
Mr. Hubert. As I understand it then, when you came down there, you met a condition which you had not anticipated in this sense. That it was your impression that although the news media would be down there, they would be back of that rail?
Captain Fritz. Had they been back there, everything would have been all right.
Mr. Hubert. It is your impression that there would be nobody on the jail side of the rail and nobody on the main ramp, Main Street ramp?
Captain Fritz. That is right; we thought we had clearance there.
Mr. Hubert. Now you say that when you came outside you caused Oswald and the two guards with him, Mr. Leavelle and Mr. Graves, to halt in the jail office and you went out and called out as to whether it was clear?
Captain Fritz. A lieutenant was standing there in uniform, and I asked him, and he told me that the security was OK. A detective also gave the same answer.
Mr. Hubert. That would be Captain Talbert?
Captain Fritz. No; it wasn’t Captain Talbert. I thought it was Captain Talbert at first but it was Lieutenant Wiggins from the jail office.
Mr. Hubert. You said there was another officer that you asked?