Assassination Suspect Description
Tippit could hear the police-radio description of the assassination suspect, broadcast as a slender white male about 30 years old, approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall.
Historical biography archive · Updated 2026-11-03
Jefferson Davis Tippit Biography and Timeline
Follow Jefferson Davis Tippit through 46 dated historical records for United States of America.
Jefferson Davis Tippit, historical timeline
A chronological timeline drawn from matching World History Database records.
46Distinct records
1 of 2Page
1963–1963Years on this page
1963
Available for Emergency
After Tippit's 12:54 p.m. location report, the dispatcher instructed him to remain available for any emergency arising in central Oak Cliff.
Barbara Jeanette Davis Witness
Barbara Jeanette Davis heard the gunfire and saw an armed man cross the lawn beside her residence while apparently emptying cartridge cases from his revolver.
Cartridge Case Recovery
Witnesses recovered cartridge cases discarded near the Tippit crime scene and turned them over to Dallas police officers.
Central Oak Cliff Order
At 12:45 p.m., the police dispatcher specifically ordered Tippit's unit to move into the central Oak Cliff area.
Discarded Jacket Evidence
Police recovered a light-colored zipper jacket beneath a car near Jefferson Boulevard along the route attributed to the gunman fleeing Tippit's shooting.
Domingo Benavides Witness
Domingo Benavides saw Tippit beside his patrol car, heard the shots, and watched the gunman discard cartridge cases while leaving the scene.
Downtown Emergency Broadcast
At about 12:44 p.m., Dallas police radio ordered downtown patrol units to report to Elm and Houston under emergency conditions after President Kennedy was shot.
East Tenth Street Patrol
At approximately 1:15 p.m., Tippit was driving slowly east along East 10th Street in Oak Cliff.
Exit from Patrol Car
Tippit opened the driver's door and began walking around the front of his patrol car after speaking with the pedestrian.
Eyewitness Lineup Identifications
Multiple witnesses to the shooting or the gunman's flight identified Oswald in Dallas police lineups conducted after his arrest.
Four Gunshot Wounds
Four bullets struck Tippit during the shooting on East 10th Street, killing him at the scene.
Gunman Description Broadcast
At approximately 1:22 p.m., Dallas police broadcast a description of the man wanted for Tippit's murder based on information from witnesses.
Helen Markham Witness
Helen Markham witnessed the encounter between Tippit and the gunman, saw the officer fall after the shots, and ran to Tippit's side.
Jefferson Boulevard Flight
Witness accounts placed the gunman moving westward along Jefferson Boulevard after leaving the area where Tippit had been shot.
Lancaster and Eighth Report
At 12:54 p.m., Tippit radioed that he was in central Oak Cliff at Lancaster Road and Eighth Street.
Oswald Arrest Connection
Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested in the Texas Theatre shortly after police began searching the area for the man suspected of killing Tippit.
Oswald Charged with Tippit Murder
At 7:10 p.m. on November 22, Dallas police formally advised Oswald that he had been charged with murdering Patrolman J. D. Tippit.
Passenger Window Conversation
The pedestrian approached the right side of Tippit's patrol car and apparently exchanged words with him through the front or vent window.
Patton Avenue Flight
Witnesses saw the gunman leave the Tippit shooting scene and move south along Patton Avenue toward Jefferson Boulevard.
Pedestrian Stop
About 100 feet east of Patton Avenue, Tippit stopped beside a man walking east whose general appearance resembled the police-radio description.
Police Radio Death Report
Benavides used Tippit's police radio to report the shooting to Dallas police headquarters at approximately 1:16 p.m.
Second Suspect Broadcast
Dallas police repeated the assassination suspect description over the radio at 12:48 p.m. while Tippit was moving through Oak Cliff.
Shooting at Tenth Street
As Tippit reached the left front wheel of his patrol car, the gunman drew a revolver and fired several shots at him.
Ted Callaway Witness
Used-car salesman Ted Callaway heard the shooting and saw the armed gunman pass nearby while fleeing toward Jefferson Boulevard.
Texas Theatre Search
Police searching for Tippit's killer converged on the Texas Theatre after receiving information that a suspicious man had entered without buying a ticket.
Third Suspect Broadcast
The assassination suspect description was broadcast again at about 12:55 p.m. while Tippit remained on patrol in central Oak Cliff.
Tippit Revolver at Scene
When Benavides reached Tippit after the shooting, the officer was lying on his own revolver, which was out of its holster.
Virginia Davis Witness
Virginia Davis heard the shots and saw the armed man cross the lawn near 10th and Patton while leaving the area.
William Scoggins Witness
Taxi driver William Scoggins heard the shots, saw Tippit fall, and then observed the armed gunman pass close to his cab while fleeing.
Assassination of Jefferson Davis Tippit
As he reached the front wheel on the drivers side, Oswald drew a revolver and fired several shots in rapid succession, hitting Tippit three times in the chest. then walked up to Tippits body and shot him directly in the head, killing him instantly
Assassination of Jefferson Davis Tippit
At 12:45 p.m., 15 minutes after the assassination, Tippit received an order by radio to proceed to the central Oak Cliff area as part of a concentration of patrol car activity around the centre of the city.
Assassination of Jefferson Davis Tippit
At 1:11-1:14 p.m.Tippit was driving slowly in an easterly direction on East 10th Street in Oak Cliff. About 100 feet (30 m) past the intersection of 10th Street and Patton Avenue, Tippit pulled up alongside Oswald, who was walking in the same direction.
Assassination of Jefferson Davis Tippit
Police officer with the Dallas, Texas Police Department who, according to witnesses and Government investigations including the Warren Commission, was shot and killed by Lee Harvey Oswald after Tippit stopped Oswald following the Kennedy assassination.
Scoggins Lineup Identification
William Scoggins viewed a police lineup on November 23 and identified Oswald as the man he had seen near the Tippit shooting.
Bullets Recovered from Tippit
Four bullets were recovered from Tippit's body and examined by firearms specialists during the investigation.
Firearms Cartridge Case Evidence
Firearms examination established that cartridge cases recovered near the Tippit crime scene had been fired from the revolver in Oswald's possession when arrested.
Five-Shot Possibility
The firearms evidence led the Warren Commission to conclude that five shots may have been fired even though four bullets were recovered from Tippit's body.
Oak Cliff Patrol Assignment
Patrolman J. D. Tippit was assigned to patrol district 78 in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas during the daylight shift.
Oswald Revolver Evidence
Investigators traced the revolver seized from Oswald at the Texas Theatre and established that it had been purchased by and belonged to him.
Records, sources and methodology
These dates and descriptions come from the historical_events database. Exact duplicate records have been collapsed. Names are grouped by the country, Name 2 and Name 1 fields; records with missing Name 2 cannot be reliably assigned to an individual biography. Check the underlying sources before formal citation.