The testimony of D. V. Harkness was taken at 11:30 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. David W. Belin, assistant
counsel of the President's Commission.
Mr. BELIN. Will you stand and raise your right hand? Do you solemnly
swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so
help you God?
Mr. HARKNESS. I do.
Mr. BELIN. Your name, sir, would you please state?
Mr. HARKNESS. D. V. Harkness, Dallas Police Department.
Mr. BELIN. Where do you live?
Mr. HARKNESS. 2123 San Pablo.
Mr. BELIN. Is that in Dallas?
Mr. HARKNESS. Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN. What position do you have with the Dallas Police Department?
Mr. HARKNESS. Sergeant of police.
Mr. BELIN. How long have you been with the Dallas Police Department?
Mr. HARKNESS. Little over 17 years.
Mr. BELIN. How old are you, sir?
Mr. HARKNESS. Forty-two.
Mr. BELIN. Did you go to school here in Dallas?
Mr. HARKNESS. Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN. How far did you get through school?
Mr. HARKNESS. High school.
Mr. BELIN. High school graduate?
Mr. HARKNESS. Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN. Then what did you do?
Mr. HARKNESS. One year worked for the East Texas Refining Co.
Mr. BELIN. Then what?
Mr. HARKNESS. Then I worked for the Baker Hotel in the auditing office.
Mr. BELIN. Then what did you do?
Mr. HARKNESS. Went in the service for 4 years.
Mr. BELIN. Army?
Mr. HARKNESS. Coast Guard.
Mr. BELIN. What did you do in the Coast Guard generally?
Mr. HARKNESS. I was a boatswain's mate second when I was discharged.
Mr. BELIN. Doing what?
Mr. HARKNESS. Let's see, I was on the troop transport at the time of my
discharge.
Mr. BELIN. Honorable discharge?
Mr. HARKNESS. Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN. Then what did you do?
Mr. HARKNESS. Come back and went to work for Alexander Motor Co.
Mr. BELIN. As what?
Mr. HARKNESS. Worked in the office in the purchasing department.
Mr. BELIN. Then what did you do?
Mr. HARKNESS. Went with the Dallas Police Department.
Mr. BELIN. Been there ever since?
Mr. HARKNESS. Ever since.
Mr. BELIN. Were you on duty November 22, 1963?
Mr. HARKNESS. Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN. Doing what?
Mr. HARKNESS. Supervising the traffic officers from Main and Field
along the parade route to Elm and Houston.
Mr. BELIN. Where were you around 12:30 p.m.?
Mr. HARKNESS. At Main and Houston.
Mr. BELIN. On the east or west side of Houston?
Mr. HARKNESS. West side of Houston.
Mr. BELIN. Did you watch the motorcade come by?
Mr. HARKNESS. Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN. Where were you when you heard the shots?
Mr. HARKNESS. I had started west on Main Street to the, I don't know
what they call this area here.
Mr. BELIN. Plaza.
Mr. HARKNESS. On the plaza area with the crowd to observe the President
as he went west on Elm Street.
Mr. BELIN. How many shots did you hear?
Mr. HARKNESS. Three.
Mr. BELIN. What did you do after you heard those noises? Did you know
they were shots, by the way?
Mr. HARKNESS. Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN. What did you do?
Mr. HARKNESS. When I saw the first shot and the President's car slow
down to almost a stop----
Mr. BELIN. When you saw the first shot, what do you mean by that?
Mr. HARKNESS. When I heard the first shot and saw the President's car
almost come to a stop and some of the agents piling off the car, I went
back to the intersection to get my motorcycle.
Mr. BELIN. You were in the process of doing that when you heard the
second and third shots?
Mr. HARKNESS. Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN. Where did the shots sound like they came from?
Mr. HARKNESS. I couldn't tell. They were bouncing off the buildings
down there. I couldn't tell.
Mr. BELIN. You mean the reverberations?
Mr. HARKNESS. Yes.
Mr. BELIN. Then what did you do?
Mr. HARKNESS. I went west on Main to observe the area between the
railroad tracks and Industrial.
Mr. BELIN. Why did you go down there?
Mr. HARKNESS. By the way the people, when I went into this area,
everybody was hitting the ground, and someone led us to indicate that
the shots were coming into the cars.
Mr. BELIN. You mean from some point in front of the cars?
Mr. HARKNESS. Yes.
Mr. BELIN. Do you know who that someone was?
Mr. HARKNESS. No, sir.
Mr. BELIN. What did that person do that indicated that?
Mr. HARKNESS. I don't remember.
Mr. BELIN. Then what did you do?
Mr. HARKNESS. I went down to Industrial to see if I could see anyone
fleeing that area.
Mr. BELIN. What did you see?
Mr. HARKNESS. I didn't see anyone, so I come back to the front of the
Book Depository and went around to this fence that was across the
street from Elm Street.
Mr. BELIN. What do you mean across the street from Elm Street?
Mr. HARKNESS. Again, I will have to--near the railroad track.
Mr. BELIN. Behind the building?
Mr. HARKNESS. No, sir; this area right here. See, Elm Street goes down.