Leavelle, Jim
Posted on 14 September, 2021 by in Veterans By Name, L
Jim Leavelle- Dallas Police 1950-1975
Born Aug. 23 1920 passed away Aug. 25 2019
August 26, 2015
Page 112 of Notebook 3
Phone Interview
Questions for Dallas, Texas police officer Jim Leavelle who was handcuffed to Lee Harvey Oswald when Oswald was shot to death by Jack Ruby on November 24, 1963, this was after Oswald had shot and killed President Kennedy. #1 “Did you know J.D. Tippitt?” Yes, Jim knew Jack Ruby for 13 years personally because Jim was at Ruby’s bar. Det. Leavelle was on Oswald’s right arm in a light suit and white hat at the time Oswald was shot (referencing photograph). Oswald was Jim’s case as prisoner for killing J.D Tippitt. The reason Jim was handcuffed to Lee was about 100 anonymous calls saying they were going to take Oswald and kill him. Jim always carried a 45 and that day he had two 45’s and was not going to go willingly. Jim transferred Ruby the next day to the county jail. Ruby got into the basement by a crack in security, not because Dallas PD knew Ruby and let him into the basement. In the picture, on Oswald’s left arm, is L.C. Graves who Jim thinks saved his life. L.C. Grabbed Oswald’s pistol by the cylinder so Jim knew Ruby could not shoot anymore. Ruby’s pistol was aimed at Jim.
November 13, 2015
Page 112 Notebook 3
Jim was aboard the U.S.S Whitney AD-4 and was at Pearl Harbor. Jim said he only saw one instance of abuse when a Dallas Police officer put his revolver to the head of a suspect that was only 13 years old.
November 16, 2015
Page 118 of Notebook 3
The officer took all but one bullet out of the revolver and put the barrel to the kid’s head; thinking the bullet was one chamber back, then fired- killing the kid instantly. He went to prison right now. Jim said he knew of no other officers who did anything like this “mock execution” to anyone. Jim said only one time he wanted to beat a prisoner was when a “black wino” who raped a 14 year old black girl who was retarded, the rapist beat the girl very badly.” Jim hoped that he would resist arrest but he did not. Jim asked his Captain to do the questioning of the man because this case had “become personal”.
November 20, 2015
Page 117 of Notebook 3
Questions from Trenton Grimes
- What did you do after the shooting?
“Put Oswald on the stretcher then into the ambulance.”
- Did Oswald seem guilty to you?
“Yes, he acted guilty.”
- Did Oswald act alone?
“Absolutely yes!
A.) Grassy Knowle
B.) 3 shots with cheap Italian rifles, (bolt action) shots were replicated again many times. Oswald and Ruby both wanted 15 minutes of fame.
December 13, 2015
Page 121 of Notebook 3
Neither Marina of Lee Oswald had a drivers license. Jim was ordered by Captain Fritz to investigate the killing of Oswald. He did not talk to much with other detectives, but later found out they were not being given assignments by Captain Fritz about the assassination. All of the interviews that Jim did over the next 7 months showed no evidence of any involvement by anyone other than Lee Oswald and Jack Ruby.
May 2016
Jim did give me a verbal release to use his interviews at end of DVD but also I signed a statement that I would show his interview mostly at libraries. I only signed 2 statements in 20 years restricting my use of any of the interviews that I did. The other was Dr. Adam Wlodarcyk who was a prisoner at Auschwitz as a thirteen year old. The Dr’s surviving relative Ms. Vicky Hill (her contact info is in my red three ring note book in a envelope dated 2017) gave me permission in a 2017 phone call to use Dr. Wlordarcyzk’s information that I have and was recorded by me at his home by his own decision. I have spoken to different attorney’s who have told me that legally when a person gives his or her permission by doing a voluntary interview that the information can by used freely by the interviewer (Larry Martin and anyone that Larry Martin gives his permission to use Mr. Martin’s information that he has gathered over roughly twenty years of doing both DVD and telephone interviews with WW II veterans or their families.
July 11, 2016
Page 123 Notebook 3
Jim would tell suspects (very often black) that they did not want to fight him (Jim) because he did not fight fair and if he was losing, Jim would shoot them and they would still lose. But in general, he had no real problem with them. He thinks the news media distorts news a lot. He blames criminal’s behavior on parents most of the time, Jim bluffed criminals often, but he bluffed well and could push or shove them and did.
Jim was hurt in a typhoon before the attack on Pearl Harbor which Jim was at being a crewman of the USS Whitney AD-4 during the attack on December 7th 1941. During the typhoon thrown 12 feet on to the deck hurting both of his knees. He was discharged in November 1942 after being at the December 7th 1941 attack.
February 20, 2016
Page 124 Notebook 3
(My brother Chuck went to Dealey Plaza In 2016) He told me the fatal shot was only about 40 yards, Jim (DPD) said that is correct and that the secret service told Pres. Kennedy that they could not stop a shooter because of all of the tall buildings on the route. However, the shot may have been 60 yards, Oswald was 6 floors up, (20 yards) and the Pres. was about 40 yards out from building, making it a 60 yard shot. Kennedy replied that if someone want to kill any President, all they would have to do is get up in a building and shoot him. Jim also told me today that the shot was so easy that a FBI shooting instructor told Jim that you would not have needed a rifle scope. Also the President had 3 routes he could have taken, the one they took them to Highway 35 and Kennedy wanted to go there. The route also included Elm St, which is where the shooting took place. Jim also mentioned that the route did have a 90 degree and a 120 degree turn.
February 3, 2019
Page 135 Notebook 3
Over a phone conversation, my brother Chuck had told us about a conspiracy book he had read about the Kennedy killing that claimed a secret service agent with a rifle with hollow point bullets accidentally fired a round that killed the President. Jim said that he talked to nearly all of the secret service agents on duty that day and none of them fired a rifle. Jim also saw either the bullet or read a report that showed the evidence from the testing of the bullet the killed Kennedy was fired by Oswald’s Manchester- Carcano 6.5mm model 91/38 rifle.