</s>93 1 toward the Senator? 2 A Yes. 3 Where is the Senator at this time that his movement commences? 5 A He must have been in this area 6 (indicating), shaking hands. 7 Would you draw a mark there? Would you 8 put "R.F.K.I."? 9 (Whereupon the witness complicated with the. 10 request of Mr. Howard.) 11 Q We are keeping you with the color red so.if 12 we have other colors, you will be red. 18 A Right. 14 How close did -- we will call him the 16 suspect -- get to the Senator ? 16 A It couldn't have been more than six feet from feet. 17 It was impossible to be more than sixteen feet away from him 18 because Mr. Uecker was almost right next to him. He was 19 pushing the crowd back. 20 Q How close to the Senate was the suspect 21 when this gun started firing? 22 A Four feet -- four to six feet. 23 Q What did he do? 24 A He kind of went around Mr. Weecker, and he -- 25 from here -- he looked like -- though he pulled his hand 26 out from here and came around. DONALD L. OSTROV, C.S.R. OFFICIAL REPORTER 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The document contains testimony from witnesses involved in the aftermath of Robert F. Kennedy's assassination at the Ambassador Hotel on June 5, 1968. A witness described being in the kitchen area near the Colonial Room where RFK was holding a press conference when he observed a heavyset suspect firing multiple shots at close range. The suspect fired at least five rounds, resulting in two casualties: one fatally shot in the head (later identified as Paul) and another injured in the leg. The suspect attempted to flee but was subdued by hotel staff, including Mr. Uecker and Rafer Johnson, before being apprehended by police. A .25 caliber pistol with a corkscrew feature was recovered and confirmed as the weapon used. Testimony included identification of individuals via photographs (Grand Jury Exhibits 7, 9, and 2-A-P). Another witness, Ira Goldstein, a news reporter, described witnessing the assassination during RFK’s speech, hearing multiple gunshots within fifteen seconds, and being struck by a bullet in the left thigh. He noted Ethel Kennedy’s initial anger before later kissing him. Arthur Placencia, an arresting officer, testified about locating the suspect (later identified as Rosie Grier) in the hotel’s kitchen area and transporting him to Rampart Station. The suspect was handcuffed but did not respond when asked for his name or rights. A police officer also described searching the suspect at the Ambassador Hotel’s pantry area adjacent to the Embassy Room, finding .22 caliber bullets, currency, and other items. Karl Uecker, an assistant maitre d’, provided details about guiding RFK through the pantry and describing its layout via a diagram (Grand Jury Exhibit 1). Witnesses reported crowds shouting for the suspect’s capture during the arrest process.  

Key People  
- **Robert F. Kennedy (RFK)**: The victim of the assassination.  
- **Paul**: Identified as the individual shot in the head, though his last name is unknown.  
- **Ethel Kennedy**: Wife of RFK, present at the scene.  
- **Ira Goldstein**: News reporter who witnessed the assassination and was injured.  
- **Mr. Uecker**: Hotel employee who helped subdue the suspect.  
- **Rafer Johnson**: Individual who restrained the suspect.  
- **Arthur Placencia**: Police officer involved in apprehending the suspect.  
- **Rosie Grier**: Suspect identified as the individual taken into custody.  
- **Jesse Unruh**: Politician who identified the suspect as having shot RFK.  
- **Karl Uecker**: Assistant maitre d’ at the Ambassador Hotel, present during RFK’s movement through the pantry area.  

Key Locations  
- **Ambassador Hotel (Los Angeles)**: Site of the assassination and subsequent chaos.  
- **Colonial Room**: Area near the kitchen where RFK was holding a press conference.  
- **Kitchen area**: Location of the shooting and initial restraint of the suspect.  
- **Rampart Station**: Police station where the suspect was taken after being apprehended.  
- **Pantry area (Embassy Room)**: Location of the suspect’s arrest, described via Grand Jury Exhibit 1.  
- **Stainless steel table**: Where the suspect was restrained during the incident.  

Key Events  
- **Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy**: Occurred in the kitchen area of the Ambassador Hotel during a press conference on June 5, 1968.  
- **Suspect subdued by hotel staff**: The heavyset individual fired multiple shots at close range before being restrained by Mr. Uecker, Rafer Johnson, and others.  
- **Arrest of Rosie Grier**: Suspect apprehended in the kitchen area by officers Placencia and White, transported to Rampart Station.  
- **Recovery of .25 caliber pistol**: Confirmed as the weapon used in the shooting, featuring a corkscrew mechanism.  
- **Identification of suspect via Jesse Unruh**: The suspect was identified as having shot RFK by Jesse Unruh.  
- **Search at the hotel’s pantry area**: A police officer described finding .22 caliber bullets, currency, and other items during a search.  
- **Crowd reactions**: Witnesses reported chaotic crowd behavior, including shouts for the suspect’s capture during the arrest process.  

Key Organizations  
- **Grand Jury of Los Angeles County**: Conducted proceedings to investigate the assassination and related events.  
- **Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD)**: Involved in responding to the scene, apprehending the suspect, and transporting him to Rampart Station.  
- **Hotel staff and security personnel**: Played a role in managing crowd control and restraining the suspect during the incident.

RFK Declassified Files

56-la-156-x-4_sec_005_ser_06-07-1968--part_3_of_6.pdf

Document Summary

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