v9.1 HW 54756 AGENCY : RECORD NUMBER : RECORD SERIES : AGENCY FILE NUMBER : ORIGINATOR : FROM: TO: TITLE : DATE: PAGES: SUBJECTS : DOCUMENT TYPE : CLASSIFICATION : RESTRICTIONS : CURRENT STATUS : DATE OF LAST REVIEW : OPENING CRITERIA : COMMENTS : DoclId: 32261322 JFK Assassination System Identification Form Agency Information HSCA 180-10105-10391 NUMBERED FILES 014454 Document Information HSCA BENTLEY, PAUL L. 05/04/1978 5 BENTLEY, PAUL L. DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT TIPPITT, J; SHOOTING OSWALD, LEE; ACTIVITIES OF 22-24 NOVEMBER 1963 POLYGRAPH TESTS GREEN, LOUIS SUMMARY Unclassified 3 Redact 10/25/1995 Box 258. Page 1 Date: 10/7/201 Released under the John . Eennedy Was5assination Records ollection Act of 1992 (44 USC 2107 Nate). ases#: NW S4756 Date: WO-31-2017
014454 _ KENNEpy INVESTIGATION INTERVIEW SCHEDULE l. Identifying Information: Name Paul L BENTLEY . Address Goio Dum MoRE 7 City/State DACCAS TEx Date of Birth 6-24-12] Social Security YS7)~ |2- $373 2. Physical Description: Height Weight Ethnic Group . a 3. Personal History: ’ Date_MAY 4/978 1-¢56M: Place REeSidevce “elephone 349-04 Mor Syma Spouse @ Miwtn : Children _« Row Color Eyes ‘ Hair Special Characteristics ° a. Present Employment : | haet Bow ln Dallas Address _/Y¥ 0/ Chan. St. Telephone iy / ? ¥Y~P2 ¥2 b. Criminal Record i. Arrests 2. Convictions 4.__ Additional. Personal Information: a. Relative(s): Name Address me ne on meer eennneneenanne = b. Area frequented: c. Remarks: Investigator YW HW 54756 Docld:32261322 Padegate Form #4-B
HW 54756 Dogk#es2761322 Page.3 . cw eee Lew ep ee ee cee ee SELECT COMMITTEE ON ASSASSINATIONS NAME Paul L. Bentley Date_5/4/78 Time 7:45PM Address 9010 Dunmore Place Residence Dallas, Texas Interview: On this date, Staff Investigators John J. Basteri and Albert Maxwell interviewed Paul Le Bentley regarding his position as a polygraph | operator with the Dallas Police Depart- ment during the period of 1963. - Mr. Bentley is now retired from the Dallas Police Department after twenty-one years of service. The major portion of his service with the Department was spent asa polygraph operator. From October, 1951 to December , 1951 he attended the Polygraphy School under the tutilage of D. W. E. Wheeler which certified him as a qualified examiner. Beginning from January, 1952 Mr. Bentley began his duties as a polygraph operator for the Dallas Police Department. During this period he not only performed these duties for the DPD, but also was called to assist in polygraph tests for the Dallas Sheriff's Department, Dallas County, all Texas police departments and for the bordering states. He did this work for these units for four to five years until such time when these departments obtained their own polygraph — operators. Mr. Bentley, while the Chief Polygraph Operator for
HW 54756 Bentley interview Page two 7 DPD aia perforii, along with. his -two: assistants up to 1200 poly- graphs per month. Because of this, he testified many times as a polygraph expert and has handled almost every type of offense in the penal code. ‘After ‘Ruby's killing of Oswald, Mr: Bentley was ’ called to examine from eight to ten persons including police officers and civilians. He could not recall the names of any of those examined. Mr. Bentley did not remember the name of Napoleon J. Daniels.- After his memory was refreshed, he did recall examining P. 0. Vaughn. He believes, although he was . not certain, that the decision as to who was to be examined was made from the office of Captain Fritz. Also, he does not remember anyone failing these examinations with the exception of failing on only one or two questions, ‘All records pertaining © to these examinations should be on file with the DPD. These "exams, when given, were conducted in a room with only the person given the test and the person giving the test present. Adjacent: - to the examining room, was-an observation. room and present in this room at times was another polygraph operator and the person» requesting the examination. In this room all procedures could be viewed and heard. The person being examined was not. aware | of this room. | During the course of this interview it was learned that when Bentley entered the department he was immediately placed in the undercover unit. As such, he had firsthand knowledge of the criminal activity in the Dallas area. While on this. Docld:32276132> Page 4
HW 54756 Bentley interview Page three assignment, he reported only to Officers Ganaway and Butler. Mr. Bentley only recalls the Lois Green gang as having any control in criminal activities in the Dallas area and surrounding communities. He knew of no other organization having any control over crime in Dallas. The gang members he recalls were Lois Green, Cecil Green, Nick Cascio, Jack Todd and R. D. Matthews. He has never heard Jack Ruby's name mentioned in connection with this organization. The extent of their criminal activities was gambling, burglaries, safe cracking, narcotics and women, When we mentioned John Grizzaffi's name, Bentley described him as a gambler, but not in the :same league as the Green gang. This gang was disbanded when Lois Green was murdered by a gunman with | a shotgun in front of the Sky Club on Fort Worth Avenue. Jack Todd, according to Bentley, was suspected for this killing for a long time. Bentley does not recall any new gang forming to replace the Green group. Bentley stated that as the Chief Polygraph operator at no time was there any scandal attached to the Dallas Police Department. If such an investigation did exist he would be called upon to examine members of the DPD involved in such a scandal. The only scandal he does recall was the examination of a Lieutenant and a police officer who were dismissed for stealing suits during the commission of a burglary. In the course of our interview, Bentley related that he had been called to examine the auto of Officer J. D. Tippitt Docld: 322761322 Page 5
Bentley interview — . “+ page “four for any signs of fingerprints. ‘We asked him about the window on the passenger side of Tippitt's auto. At first, Bentley replied that he believed the window was opened, but then stated that the window may have been partially closed because he faintly recalls taking some prints off the top of the window. While there, word came over the police radio notifying that the. possible killer of Officer Tippitt was in the Texas Theatre. He then proceeded to the theatre entering through the front entrance while the other officer went into: the building through the rear. Bentiey immediately went upstairs to the projection room and requested that they put on the theatre lights. Bentley then. went downstairs and saw Officer McDonald walking up the isle -from'the front to-the rear of the theatre. He then saw a male, later identified as Lee Harvey Oswald, who was seated, get up and draw a gun. Bentley said he was only a few rows back and he jumped towards Lee Harvey Oswald and he :aiid McDonald ‘subdued him. In doing so Bentley had injured his leg. After disarming Oswald, he was placed in the patrol car and taken back to head- quarters. At the time they. did not know that Lee Harvey Oswald — was also a suspeét in the killing of President Kennedy. In the search, Bentley had removed Oswald's wallet which contained numerous identifications. Oswald denied doing anything wrong. He made no other statement at this time. HW 54756 DBocld:32261322 Page 6