Oswald Arrest at the Texas Theater

After Johnny Brewer followed the nervous-appearing man [later identified as Lee Oswald] to the Texas Theater, he had a conversation with the woman at the box office. The Warren Report summarizes testimony on what happened next.

"Mrs. Julia Postal, selling tickets at the box office of the Texas Theatre, heard police sirens and then saw a man as he 'ducked into' the outer lobby space of the theatre near the ticket office. Attracted by the sound of the sirens, Mrs. Postal stepped out of the box office and walked to the curb.

"Shortly thereafter, Johnny Brewer, who had come from the nearby shoestore, asked Mrs. Postal whether the fellow that had ducked in had bought a ticket. She said, 'No; by golly, he didn't,' and turned around, but the man was nowhere in sight.

Brewer told Mrs. Postal that he had seen the man ducking into his place of business and that he had followed him to the theatre. She sent Brewer into the theatre to find the man and check the exits, told him about the assassination, and said 'I don't know if this is the man they want. ... but he is running from them for some reason. She then called the police."

The police found Oswald, watching a movie. "He was sitting alone in the rear of the main floor of the theatre near the right center aisle." After searching two other theater patrons, Patrolman M.N. McDonald reached Oswald and told him to get on his feet.

"Oswald rose from his seat, bringing up both hands. As McDonald started to search Oswald's waist for a gun ... Oswald then struck McDonald between the eyes with his left fist; with his right hand he drew a gun from his waist. McDonald struck back with his right hand and grabbed the gun with his left hand. They both fell into the seats.

"Three other officers, moving toward the scuffle, grabbed Oswald from the front, rear and side. As McDonald fell into the seat with his left hand on the gun, he felt something graze across his hand and heard what sounded like the snap of the hammer. McDonald felt the pistol scratch his cheek as he wrenched it away from Oswald. Detective Bob K. Carroll, who was standing beside McDonald, seized the gun from him.

"... As Oswald, handcuffed, was led from the theatre, he was, according to McDonald, 'cursing a little bit and hollering police brutality.'

This photograph depicts Oswald on his way to the police car. " At 1:51 p.m., police car 2 reported by radio that it was on the way to headquarters with the suspect" [for the murder of Officer Tippit, not for the assassination of the President].