第五章
Chapter V of the Warren Commission Report details the security arrangements and events surrounding Lee Harvey Oswald’s detention and transfer at the Dallas Police Department headquarters from Friday through Sunday morning. The chapter covers press credential procedures on the third floor, the presence of unauthorized individuals including Jack Ruby, Oswald’s repeated exposures to the press, the chaotic Friday night press conference, the decision-making process to transfer Oswald to the county jail, anonymous death threats received overnight, planning of the transfer route through the basement, and the security measures implemented in the basement area where Oswald would ultimately be shot during the transfer.
Third Floor Press Credential Procedures
Newsmen seeking admission to the third floor were required to identify themselves with personal press cards, but the department did not verify the authenticity of these credentials. Captain King explained that under the chaotic conditions—with constantly ringing telephones and crowds of people—positively identifying individuals was not feasible. While police officers testified they carefully checked credentials and most newsmen confirmed they were required to show press cards after Batchelor imposed security, other newsmen went unchallenged for the entire period before Oswald’s death, even though some were known to officers or wore press badges.
Unauthorized Persons on Third Floor
After security procedures were instituted, people appearing to be unauthorized were present on the third floor, a fact supported by video evidence. Jack Ruby was present on the third floor on Friday night. Assistant Chief of Police N. T. Fisher testified that even on Saturday, anyone with a plausible reason could gain access to the third floor bureaus, indicating significant lapses in security.
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