Mr. Putnam.

Houston Street adjoins district 109. It is one of the routes you can use to cross the river into the downtown area. This would be the normal procedure as far as Officer Tippit was concerned, to come in toward the downtown area, unless disregarded and a later transmission on channel 2, after getting his location, advised him to remain at large in the Oak Cliff area. "At large," would indicate that he would feel free to go nearer in the Oak Cliff area, with the idea in mind that he would be looking for any suspect or any suspicious circumstance that might be related to the shooting.

Mr. Ely.

Are districts 78, 109, and 91 all located within the Oak Cliff area?

Mr. Putnam.

They are located in the Oak Cliff area.

Mr. Ely.

All right, thank you, Sergeant Putnam, I believe that's all.

--------------------------------------
Lt. Rio S. Pierce

Testimony of Lt. Rio S. Pierce

The testimony of Lt. Rio S. Pierce was taken at 11:25 a.m., on April 9, 1964, in the office of the U.S. attorney, 301 Post Office Building, Bryan and Ervay Streets, Dallas, Tex. by Mr. John Hart Ely, member of the staff of the President's Commission.

Mr. Ely.

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

Mr. Pierce.

I do.

Mr. Ely.

Lieutenant, I am here as a representative of the President's Commission which is looking into all the facts surrounding the assassination of President Kennedy, and we have been informed that you might have information which would help us in this inquiry.

Mr. Ely.

Would you state your full name, please?

Mr. Pierce.

Rio Sam Pierce.

Mr. Ely.

And where do you live?

Mr. Pierce.

3227 South Edgefield.

Mr. Ely.

Could you tell us what your occupation is?

Mr. Pierce.

Officer--police officer.

Mr. Ely.

And what rank do you hold?

Mr. Pierce.

Lieutenant.

Mr. Ely.

You are a lieutenant with the Dallas Police Department?

Mr. Pierce.

That's right.

Mr. Ely.

Could you tell us something about what you did before you started to work for the police department?

Mr. Pierce.

Well, I was raised on a farm out in West Texas and engaged in farming practically all of my life up until I went in the Marine Corps. After I got out of the Marine Corps in 1946, in April I believe it was, I came to the Dallas Police Department in August 1946.

Mr. Ely.

Could you tell us, please, what your job is? What do you specialize in with the police department?

Mr. Pierce.

I am assigned as a lieutenant in the patrol division out of the central station.

Mr. Ely.

Now, were you on duty on November 22, 1963?

Mr. Pierce.

I was not.

Mr. Ely.

Were you in Dallas on that date?

Mr. Pierce.

Part of the day. I went to Ennis, Tex., early that morning and returned to Dallas about---oh, it was approximately 1 or 1:30 p.m.

Mr. Ely.

Did you have anything to do with the investigation of the killing of either President Kennedy or Officer Tippit?

Mr. Pierce.

No, sir.

Mr. Ely.

I will show you three exhibits, one is a map designated Putnam Exhibit No. 1. The other two are designated Sawyer Deposition Exhibits A and B, and are copies of the Dallas Police Department's radio logs for November 22, 1963.