Mr. Belin.

Were there any motorcycle policemen riding alongside the motor-that you remember?

Mr. Couch.

Yes; there were.

Mr. Belin.

Do you remember the names of any of those people?

Mr. Couch.

No; I don't.

Mr. Belin.

Were they two-wheel or three-wheel motorcycles?

Mr. Couch.

Two-wheel.

Mr. Belin.

Was there one riding alongside of your car?

Mr. Couch.

Uh--he was. I remember distinctly one was on my right going down Main. They would jockey from time to time in different positions. As I recall, on Houston, I don't remember any beside us on Houston. As I say, they would fade back and forth. Sometimes they would be; sometimes they wouldn't.

Mr. Belin.

All right. Now, as you turned onto Houston, you said that you heard what you described as a---

Mr. COUCH. It sounded like a motorcycle backfire at first--the first time we heard it--the first shot.
Mr. BELIN. Do you remember about where your car was at the time you heard the first noise?
Mr. COUCH. I would say--uh--15 or 20 feet from the turn--from off of Main onto Houston.

Mr. Belin.

Fifteen or 20 feet from the turn?

Mr. Couch.

We had already completed the turn.
Mr. BELIN. After you had completed the turn, then 15 or 20 feet further on you heard the first shot--the first noise?
Mr. COUCH. Because, I remember I was talking and we were laughing and I was looking back to a fellow on my--that would be on my right---I don't know who it was--we were joking. We had just made the turn. And I heard the first shot.

Mr. Belin.

What happened--or what did anyone say?

Mr. COUCH. As I recall, nothing--there was no particular reaction; uh--nothing unusual. Maybe everybody sort of looked around a little, but didn't think much of it. And--uh--then, in a few seconds, I guess from 4-5 seconds later, or even less, we heard the second shot. And then we began to look--uh, not out of thinking necessarily it was a gunshot, but we began to look in front of us--in the motorcade in front of us. And, as I recall, I didn't have any particular fears or feelings at the second shot. By the third shot, I felt that it was a rifle. Almost sure it was. And, as I said, the shots or the noises were fairly close together, they were fairly even in sound--and--uh, by then, one could recognize, or if he had heard a high-powered rifle, he would feel that it was a high-powered rifle. You would get that impression.
Mr. BELIN. Do you remember where your vehicle was by the time you heard the third shot?
Mr. COUCH. I'd say we were about 50 feet from making---or maybe 60 feet--from making the left-hand turn onto Elm.

Mr. Belin.

Did you hear more than three shots?

Mr. Couch.

No.
Mr. BELIN. Had you heard any noises, what you'd describe like a motorcycle backfiring or firecrackers, prior to the time that you made your turn north onto Houston?
Mr. COUCH. Well, way uptown on Main Street, a motorcycle did backfire right beside us---and we all jumped and had a good laugh over it. And the three shots sounded, at first-the first impression was that this was another motorcycle backfiring.
Mr. BELIN. Now, between the first and the second shots, is there anything else you remember doing or you remember hearing or seeing that you haven't related here at this time?
Mr. COUCH. Nothing unusual between the shots. Uh---as I say, the first shot, I had no particular impression; but the second shot, I remember turning---several of us turning--and looking ahead of us. It was unusual for a motorcycle to backfire that close together, it seemed like. And after the third shot, Bob