Police honour man who led them to Kennedy's assassin

Dallas police honoured a man on Tuesday whose "keen observation skills and strong sense of civic duty" led them to Lee Harvey Oswald, who had crept into the back of a darkened movie theatre to hide on November 22, 1963, shortly after the assassination of president John F. Kennedy. Police Chief David Brown presented Johnny Calvin Brewer with the department's Citizen's Certificate of Merit and praised his selfless act and "exemplary conduct" 48 years ago during a ceremony at the Texas Theatre — the same place where Oswald was captured about 80 minutes after Kennedy was killed. "I'm just so overwhelmed," Brewer, 70, said after receiving the award and watching a video of his 22-year-old self recounting the events of that day. Brewer, a manager at a shoe store located about 90 steps from the Oak Cliff neighbourhood theatre, was listening to news reports about the president's assassination when he heard reports that a Dallas police officer, J.D. Tippit, had just been killed a few blocks away. A man whose behaviour seemed suspicious then walked into the foyer of the shoe store. Brewer said the man stared at the display in the window and acted scared as police cars with blaring sirens raced by. After the last squad car passed in one direction, the man stepped out of the store and walked in the opposite direction towards the movie theatre. He followed him, alerting the woman in the box office to call police. Brewer then shared his suspicions with the concessions operator and the two searched the theatre and stood by the emergency exits. Later when police arrived, Brewer pointed out the suspicious man seated in the theatre. Oswald was arrested after a brief scuffle.