I say Ted Callaway helped load Tippit's body into the ambulance and then went over to the patrol car radio to report the shooting to the police dispatcher. Martin Weidmann says I am wrong, that Callaway got on the patrol car radio first... and then helped load the body into the ambulance. This matters when trying to explain Callaway's timeline between hearing the shots ring out and reporting the shooting on the patrol car radio.
By the way, if Callaway got on the patrol car radio BEFORE helping to load the body into the ambulance (he didn't), then all it really does is help the false narrative that the shooting occurred earlier than 1:14/1:15. In other words, Callaway helping with the body before getting on the police radio does not support my argument that the shooting occurred around 1:14/1:15; it would support the idea the shooting occurred a bit earlier than the official version. Nevertheless, that is what happened.
The police tapes obviously don't mention the body being loaded into the ambulance, but the tapes do tell us when the ambulance was leaving the scene en route to Methodist Hospital. The tapes tell us that the ambulance was leaving the scene as Callaway was making his report on the squad car radio.
602 (ambulance): 602.
Dispatcher: 85.
85 (Ptm. R.W. Walker): 85.
Dispatcher: Suspect running west on Jefferson from the location.
85 (Ptm. R.W. Walker): 10-4.
Dispatcher: No physical description.
Citizen (Callaway): Hello, hello, hello.
602 (ambulance): 602.
Citizen (Callaway): Pardon, from out here on Tenth Street, 500 block. This officer just shot. I think he's dead.
Dispatcher: 10-4. We have that information. The citizen using the radio: Remain off the radio now.
That "602" was Butler attempting to let dispatch know that they were leaving the scene en route to the hospital. However, he could not get through because Callaway is on the squad car radio reporting the incident (as the ambulance is speeding off).
After arriving on the scene in the ambulance, Butler and Kinsley rolled Tippit's body over (he was lying on his stomach) in order to place Tippit onto the stretcher.. Callaway noticed Tippit's service revolver lying on the street (it was underneath the body). Callaway picked up the revolver and placed it on the hood of the patrol car and then helped Bowley, Butler and Kinsley load Tippit's body into the ambulance.
T.F. Bowley stated in his affidavit that once Tippit's body was loaded into the ambulance, he saw the service revolver lying on the hood of the patrol car (having been placed there moments earlier by Callaway). Bowley picked up the revolver off of the hood and placed on the front seat of the patrol car.
"When the ambulance left, I took the gun and put it inside the squad car." -- T.F. Bowley (12/2/63 affidavit)
After making his report to the police dispatcher on the squad car radio, Callaway grabbed the service revolver from the front seat and proceeded to seek others to help him go off in search for the killer.
More evidence that Callaway helped load the body into the ambulance BEFORE he got on the police radio to report the shooting...
"And then I got out of the cab and run down there; the ambulance had
already arrived by the time I got there, and they were in the process
of picking the man up, and they had done had him, was putting him on
the stretcher when I got there, and they put him in the ambulance and
took him away, and there was someone that got on the radio at that
time and they told him he was going to report it, so they told him to
get off the air, that it had already been reported, and he picks up
the officer's pistol that was laying on the ground, apparently fell
out of his holster when he fell, and says, "Come on, let's go see if
we can find him." -- WILLIAM SCOGGINS
The "someone that got on the radio" was Callaway and the "at that
time" was once the ambulance "took him away".
Domingo Benavides said that Callaway got on the patrol car radio to report the shooting and the "officer" at the other end (the dispatcher) told Callaway that they already had that information and to stay off the air. Benavides then said that Callaway grabbed the service revolver and said to Benavides that they should go chase the killer. Benavides said he declined and added that Callaway then went over to the cab driver (Scoggins).
Callaway said to Scoggins "Let's get the son of a As I was walking a' alane, I heard twa corbies makin' a mane. The tane untae the tither did say, Whaur sail we gang and dine the day, O. Whaur sail we gang and dine the day? It's in ahint yon auld fail dyke I wot there lies a new slain knight; And naebody kens that he lies there But his hawk and his hound, and his lady fair, O. But his hawk and his hound, and his lady fair. His hound is to the hunting gane His hawk to fetch the wild-fowl hame, His lady ta'en anither mate, So we may mak' our dinner swate, O. So we may mak' our dinner swate. Ye'll sit on his white hause-bane, And I'll pike oot his bonny blue e'en Wi' ae lock o' his gowden hair We'll theek oor nest when it grows bare, O. We'll theek oor nest when it grows bare. There's mony a ane for him maks mane But nane sail ken whaur he is gane O'er his white banes when they are bare The wind sail blaw for evermair, O. The wind sail blaw for evermair.'". Benavides said nothing about Callaway helping to load the body into the ambulance before going over to Scoggins with the revolver (because this had already been done earlier and the ambulance was gone).
The police tapes clearly tell you that 602 (the Kinsley/Butler ambulance) was leaving the scene at the same time you hear Callaway making his report to the police dispatcher. Scoggins and Benavides confirm what the police tapes tell you.
