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Houston McCoy, stopped Charles Whitman, dies

Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2012 6:21 pm
by seamusTX
Houston McCoy, age 72, died today in Menard, Texas, of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

On August 1, 1966, McCoy was an Austin police officer on duty. He shot and killed Charles Whitman, the sniper who killed 16 people and wounded 32, shooting from the clock tower on the UT campus in Austin.

http://www.kutnews.org/post/austin-poli ... itman-dies" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/1 ... er-Shooter" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The UT shooting was one of the earlier mass murders to get saturation treatment on TV.

- Jim

Re: Houston McCoy, stopped Charles Whitman, dies

Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2012 6:35 pm
by The Annoyed Man
Not that it particularly means anything, but interesting timing, considering recent events. I wonder what McCoy thought about Sandy Hook.

Re: Houston McCoy, stopped Charles Whitman, dies

Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2012 7:07 pm
by seamusTX
It's too late to ask him now, but he may have had something to say about the hundreds of school shootings that took place since 1966, if you search.

It looks like he tried to put the UT incident behind him. He quit the police force two years later and moved back the place he grew up. Here's an interview from last year:
http://www.statesman.com/news/news/loca ... g-1/nRZ3G/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Ironically, he said he didn't want Whitman mentioned in his obituary.

- Jim

Re: Houston McCoy, stopped Charles Whitman, dies

Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2012 1:38 pm
by threoh8
Note that four men went up the tower to stop Whitman - three officers and non-LEO Allan Crum. Crum, with a borrowed rifle (my father said it was an M1 Carbine, but I haven't found confirmation), had a negligent discharge on the observation deck, which distracted Whitman as McCoy and Ramirez came around the other way. Officers Ramirez and McCoy shot at Whitman from about 50 feet, missing with Ramirez's revolver and hitting him with McCoy's shotgun.

Re: Houston McCoy, stopped Charles Whitman, dies

Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2012 1:47 pm
by anygunanywhere
threoh8 wrote:Note that four men went up the tower to stop Whitman - three officers and non-LEO Allan Crum. Crum, with a borrowed rifle (my father said it was an M1 Carbine, but I haven't found confirmation), had a negligent discharge on the observation deck, which distracted Whitman as McCoy and Ramirez came around the other way. Officers Ramirez and McCoy shot at Whitman from about 50 feet, missing with Ramirez's revolver and hitting him with McCoy's shotgun.
If I am not mistaken, Officer Ramirez became a Texas Ranger. I am pretty sure I have his book somewhere....

Anygunanywhere

Re: Houston McCoy, stopped Charles Whitman, dies

Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2012 1:59 pm
by mikedude
RIP brother! :patriot:

Re: Houston McCoy, stopped Charles Whitman, dies

Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2013 7:46 pm
by OldCurlyWolf
:txflag:

A Salute to a Brother in Arms.

Re: Houston McCoy, stopped Charles Whitman, dies

Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2013 7:43 pm
by Benwhite11
I invite everyone to read A sniper in the Tower by Gary Lavergne if you want to learn the facts of that day. Most people don't know that McCoy was at the North side of the tower at 12 noon and could have gone up THEN but didn't end up shooting at Whitman till 1:24pm. What did he do during that time? Martinez was the point man all the way up the stairs and out on the observation deck NOT WITH police officers but with the CIVILIAN Alan Crum backing him up. If the " fire " was on the observation deck, why didn't the others focus on that like Crum and Martinez? Whitman was killing or wounding probably 1 person a minute-Crum and Martinez understood what needed to be done ASAP.and WHAT did the civilian Crum have to tell the officer McCoy as he went out the door AFTER Crum? Folks, with all due respect, the autopsy reveals several "large caliber wounds" ( from a .38?) on Whitman. Martinez seriously wounded him first. The National AND International press wanted to know who was the first to Engage ( remember, up till then, no one knew who was up there), and who was the first to Neutralize him. It wasn't about A BULLET-it was about who got there, didn't mess around, got straight to the top, was point man and the one to stick his head around ALL those corners and get out there and attack that pecker. But most of all its about the civilian Alan Crum-be didn't have to be there AT ALL, he borrowed a rifle from a DPS guy and followed Martinez out on the observation deck not knowing how many snipers were out there. Damn! And nothing named for him in this town! HE was the 2nd one out the door-he deserves MORE recognition. Read the book-learn the FACTS about McCoy. That massacre SHOULD have ended ended by 12:30---NOT 1:24 find out why. You'll be aghast.