Houston McCoy

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Houston McCoy on the occasion of convening a grand jury to investigate the Charles Whitman shootings: August 05, 1966.
Houston McCoy on the occasion of convening a grand jury to investigate the Charles Whitman shootings: August 05, 1966.

Houston McCoy is the Austin Police officer who killed sniper Charles Whitman at the University of Texas in Austin on August 1, 1966. [1] [2][3] [4]

McCoy, a native of Menard, TX, attended Menard High School where he was active in sports and named "Class Favorite" and "Best All Around Boy". After graduating in 1958, he attended Lamar Tech University in Beaumont, Texas before enlisting in the United States Army. [5] [6] [7]

He joined the Austin Police Department in May 1963. While on the force, he obtained his flying instructor’s license and volunteered his time to the Boy Scouts of America. [8] [9] [10]

He married his German born fiancé in July 1963, the same month he graduated from cadet school. [11]

Contents

[edit] August 1, 1966 - The Confrontation With Charles Whitman

Austin Police Officer Jerry Day, who was the first officer to travel up the elevator, and volunteer University Co-Op employee Allen Crum, who went up with off duty Officer Ramiro Martinez, followed Martinez and McCoy to the observation deck of the University of Texas, Martinez went out first and McCoy went out next onto the observation deck. Martinez decided to go alone around the SE corner in a crawling position with his .38 revolver. McCoy realized that he may need back-up and rounded the corner with his shotgun and they proceeded to the North-East corner of the deck. Martinez spotted Whitman seated on the floor of the North-West corner watching the South-West corner for any signs of police. Martinez jumped into the walkway in a split-position, firing his .38 revolver rapidly in the direction of Whitman, who was shielded by a floor light ballast. McCoy ascertained the direction in which Martinez was firing, and stepped out and away from Martinez, and saw Whitman's white head-band above the ballast, and Whitman bringing his M-1 carbine around towards them. As Martinez was firing, McCoy fired his riot shotgun at the white head-band, placing several 00 buckshot into the eyes and brain of Whitman, effectively killing Whitman with the first blast. McCoy then fired an insurance shot at the left side of Whitman's head, shoulder and body. Martinez grabbed the shotgun from McCoy and ran approximately fifty feet to Whitman's body and fired into Whitman's left arm.</ref> [12]

[edit] After the Event

Two years after the event, McCoy left the police force and was employed as a civilian flight instructor under the T-41 program with the United States Air Force in Del Rio, TX..[13] In January 1975, he became the Camp Ranger for the Boy Scouts at Camp Sol Mayer near Fort McKavett State Historic Site, serving as Camp Ranger until 1987.[8]

McCoy had attorneys file a Defamation of Character lawsuit against TNT in the early 1990s for portraying the film "The Deadly Tower" as a "true story", the film showed a tall, lanky and cowardly officer with a shotgun who did not fire on Whitman. The producers had focused on Martinez and McCoy had refused to allow his name be used in the film because the script did not represent the event or McCoy's participation truthfully. His attorneys, however, were not successful in the case. They also lost a case against MGM, in which McCoy, through his attorneys, were asking for over $10,000,000.00 in damages.[14][15] An August 2006 story in The Daily Texan recounted McCoy's reaction to the 1975 film.[13]

[edit] Post Trauma and City of Austin Sues Hero

In 1998, John Moore, who McCoy had granted as his Power of Attorney, realized McCoy was suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and had McCoy go to the Veterans Administration Hospital in Waco, Texas, after a lengthy and unfruitful discourse with the City of Austin and the Mayors Office. McCoy was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder by a Veterans Affairs psychologist, Dr. Ellen Mink.[16]The State of Texas granted a Worker's Compensation Award of $2160, plus treatment for his PTSD, due to McCoy being on duty at the time; the payment was blocked by the City of Austin's Attorneys. The City of Austin sued McCoy in order to deny McCoy the Award, in part because of the length of time (30 years) between the original incident and the filing. A spokesperson for the Commission stated that there was no Statute of Limitations as the City suggested. The Award has never been paid.[17]

[edit] City of Austin Honors Heroes

On August 9, 2007 Houston McCoy, along with 13 other recipients, received the Distinguished Service Award from the City of Austin. [18]

McCoy currently resides in Menard, TX. [19]

[edit] References

  1. ^ San Angelo Standard Times " Policeman Reluctant Hero in Tower Shooting", Article No 183, Date August 1, 1986 Retrieved on 2008-02-14
  2. ^ Flippin, Perry UT Tower Heroes to be Honored SA Standard Times 8/6/2007.Retrieved on 11/5/2007
  3. ^ Trotter, Mona Austin American Statesman " Miles Broke Silence Shortly Before Death", Date August 3, 1979 Retrieved on 2008-06-02
  4. ^ Wilkison, Shelly The Police Line "City Says No to Counseling Police Hero's PTSD", Volume 4, Issue 1 Date February, 2002 Retrieved on 2008-06-02
  5. ^ Menard Roots - Class of 1958 Menard Roots - Menard HS annual - Class of 1958.Retrieved on 01/06/2008
  6. ^ Menard Roots - Class of 1956 Menard Roots - Menard HS annual - Class of 1956.Retrieved on 01/06/2008
  7. ^ Lavergne, Gary: "A Sniper in the Tower", page 155. University of North Texas Press, 1997. ISBN 1-57441-029-6 Gary Lavergne "A Sniper in the Tower"
  8. ^ a b Camp Sol Mayer. West Texas Scouting History (10 July 2004). Retrieved on 2007-09-15.
  9. ^ Waco Tribune-Herald " Police Used Airplane to Halt Sniper", Article Date April 23, 1967 Retrieved on 2008-02-14
  10. ^ San Angelo Standard Times " Policeman Reluctant Hero in Tower Shooting", Article No 183, Date August 1, 1986 Retrieved on 2008-02-14
  11. ^ Austin American Statesman " Honor Guard " July 1963 Retrieved on 2008-05-17
  12. ^ "The Madman in the Tower", Time, 12 August 1966. 
  13. ^ a b "Trauma lingers for forgotten hero", The Daily Texan", 1 August 2006. Retrieved on 2006-08-01. 
  14. ^ The Deadly Tower!. 3B Theater (February 14, 2005). Retrieved on 2006-04-27.
  15. ^ Literary License or Propaganda. AIM Report. Retrieved on 2006-06-26.
  16. ^ "Cop who killed UT sniper files worker's comp lawsuit", Amarillo Globe News, 28 June 2000. 
  17. ^ Kristin, Carlisle. "City appeals against compensation for Tower hero", The Daily Texan, April 11, 2001. Retrieved on 2006-04-03. 
  18. ^ Oliveria, Ron, / UT Tower Shooting: 41 Years ABC News Channel 42 KEYETV. Retrieved on 11/2/2007
  19. ^ Flippin, Perry UT Tower Heroes to be Honored SA Standard Times 8/6/2007.Retrieved on 11/5/2007