 Here is true the names have been changed to protect the innocent drag met You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned a homicide detail You get a call to investigate unknown trouble The caller gives no indication of what's wrong your job. Check it out It was Saturday, July 18th was warm in Los Angeles. We were working the day watch out a homicide detail My partner's Frank Smith the boss is Captain Warman. My name's Friday We're on our way back from questioning a suspect. It was 1056 a.m. When I got back to our car You look one K80 Did you get me a pack too? Yeah, here you are. Thanks Hey Joe, hmm, I wonder if you'd do me a favor. I just did I bought you packed cigarettes. No I've been thinking about taking a sergeant exam see if I can crack it this time Yeah, I figure I got about six months before they're gonna hold them again Gives me plenty of time to get ready a lot of work and have to really hustle the books You know, yeah, I know I talked to say about it last night. I got it all squared away The in-laws aren't gonna come out this year. That's what allows me up last year Joe you know our house that army cops all over the place kids run around screaming nobody can study like that You're gonna be able to work out the classes. Well, I'm gonna have to I'm sure you have the extra money Playing me'd like to do some work on the house. I'm the only way we can do it. I make sergeant We want me to do Well, I wonder if he kind of helped me out along the way you made it and tell me what to do what to watch out for Well, do what I can't worry, but there's anybody who can make it for you besides yourself Yeah, I know that but as long as you're in my corner, buddy, I'll be in your corner Attention all units, you better get the hell all units at 52 91 Lamaranda Street investigate unknown trouble. That's at 5291 Lamaranda Street investigate unknown trouble 11f 9 3 take the call code 3 KMA 367 This is Miranda now isn't here. Yeah, 6100 block. We must just pass the place. I didn't say anything to you me either Code 3 it's important. Maybe you and we'll go back check it out. All right Should be up here on the right 5800 couple blocks up there. Let me take it easy. You should be in here. Yeah Doesn't look like there's any trouble This is it you won't pull up. Yeah The back of the court 52 91. There's nothing going on. Yeah Well, maybe I better verify that address, huh? Yeah, one K. Oh to control one Control one to one K. Don't go ahead Would you repeat the address on the call to Lamaranda Street and buy one Katie? You know, that's probably some kids having a time. Yeah Control one to one K. Don't that address is 52 91 Lamaranda 5291 Lamaranda Roger control one one K80 code six of that address KMA 367 This is it better check it out, huh? There's nothing wrong here. It doesn't look like it, does it? There's somebody back there Joe same at the window. How about it? I don't know one thing sure. Yeah They didn't send for us the five units of the court were arranged in the shape of a U 5291 In the center running between the two wings was a grass area large palm trees were growing at either end and with a Raw iron table and four chairs in the center of the area And what we could see of the building the shot had come from the only door was the one facing us Frank and I dept over to the left side of the court to the unit occupied by the manager We waited on the porch until the felony car that had been assigned to the call arrived While the officers from the unit covered the house Frank and I went to the manager's place and talked to him Identified himself as Marshall Rice. He appeared to be nervous and upset. I know why it should be so tough You get him out of there. That's all I care about. Just get him out What'd you say the man's name was suddenly gray? You're the one who called the police Yeah, I called him right after he took the first shot I wasn't gonna wait around for no repeat performance. You have any idea why he's doing this the only one that makes any sense What's that? He's wigged sir flip though. He's gone straight up. Did you talk to him this morning? You know I'm back there about 830 wanted to get some things straightened out Then had a cup of coffee with him and Charlotte who Charlotte his wife real dial She sure don't deserve to come up with a flip like him. How do you seem then you mean what I talked to him? That's all right. All right I didn't notice anything if I had I'd have called you then instead of waiting for this to happen So what'd you talk about? Different things we've been applying on doing a little remodeling. You know paint and paper Yeah Dudley's been helping me lost his job a couple of months ago since then he's just been sitting around watching the TV I've done a liquor work. Oh, I asked him to give me a hand with a redecorating Guys already six weeks behind his rent. Just go show. Huh? Well, you try to be nice to a guy try to give him a hand What happened to kick? He's no good. He's no good at all Find out when he comes out. You'll see them. How long have they lived here in a couple of years You need the exact date they moved in no sure not right now. You ever had any trouble with them before this Nothing like this. That's for sure. But you have had trouble, huh? Sure, just try to live together and not have a little beef now and then what were the disagreements about? Different things sounds kind of silly when you talk about him. Well, let help us get him out if we know what caused this Well, like he likes one baseball team. I like another he don't like the fish I don't like to hunt things like that lay them out in the sun. They just dry right up silly little thing anything else Well, I guess you might as well tell you you'll find out anyway. What's that? Well, Dudley thought there was something between Charlotte and me Of course, there wasn't but you just couldn't convince him. He was off base wasn't anything could convince him He said something about that this morning. Yeah, we were just sitting there talking about how he ought to help me out with a paint And Charlotte said he should all of a sudden he got this kind of while looking his eyes told me knew all about me and his wife That I wasn't fooling anybody Well, we just sat there didn't know what to pick up his coffee cup and flung it across the room It's nice to get the wall coffee all over the place streaming down the walls ruin the paint for Tell me to get out of the house and leave Charlotte alone that if you ever told me talking to her again He's making. Sorry. I did what about his family now. Are they in the house pretty sure they Charlotte took the kids and left right after I did I saw him walk off. You know where they went. I can't help you there She have any people or friends in the neighborhood here Nothing I ever heard got a picture down National City, but I don't think she went there I say that I didn't have no grips. She could go on there Taking clothes for the kids didn't have no grips once she left pretty sure she didn't go on National City But you don't know where we will find her at the least might have gone to a show. It'll Dudley calms down How do you figure to get him to come up? I would try to talk to her first to revo it. I ain't gonna do it He hasn't got any reason left to do a thing like this. Oh, we gotta try you're gonna have to kill him You just wait and see that's the only way you're gonna get him out shoot the house full of holes And hope he gets in the middle that's the only way we hope you see something else. You ought to know What's that that gun he's got the 22 rifle? Yeah, he's got a real thing about guns big collection rifles pistols Automatics a whole bunch of them. They all work We got a description of Dudley Gray and we called it into our eye We found that he had no record in our files. We got in touch with Captain Lerman and filled him in We requested that additional teams of men be dispatched with tear gas equipment and shotgun The men from the felony units covered the back of the house while Frank and I covered the front All of the other tenants of the court were instructed to stay indoors 1114 a.m. The Frank standing by went up to the porch to try and talk to Gray Gray Gray I want to talk to you. I got nothing to say to you Why don't you put the gun down come on out here? You try to take this place. I'll kill you all no reason for that I know who you are. You don't have to try to kid me. I know you the police officer is gray We want to help you now you don't have to lie you just want me to open the gates Let you and the rest of men here. Well, you go back tell the chief. I won't do it All right, come on out here great. Put the gun down. Let's talk it over. I'm telling you I got nothing to say I'm sneaking around here trying to get me to let you in so as you're inside you bring the place down run off all the horses What off what? Yeah, I chew the cage you want well it won't work Told you I know who you are you go tell the chief and it didn't work now one Indians getting in here not once I'm gonna defend this fort till the cavalry gets here. I'll show you division on the way right now Gray come on out here We're on your side. We want to help you. That's a lie You got different clothes on but I still recognize you you're Scott on here last week. I remember now you get out of here Come on, Gray. Give us a break. Let's talk it over No, right with it. What about it? I don't know. He thinks he's in a fort told me thought I was an Indian You heard him. Yeah, right what the landlord says he can hold out in there as long as he wants. Yeah Maybe we can find his wife. We might be able to come up with the answer All right, I'll check with the rest of the neighbors see if they can tell us anything Yeah, I'll go on back and try to talk to him. Oh wait a minute. Take it easy Joe. He sounds pretty sick Yeah, check the boys in the back when you see if there's any way getting to him from there, right? I see you out there I see you now don't try anything. I'm ready for you. Here you are Gray. We couldn't put anything over on you You'll bet you cannot do smart for you How long you think it'll be before the cavalry gets here great right in a couple of days That's Tucson day before yesterday should be here day after tomorrow You're gonna fix up the Indians then won't you great? Yeah, I'm gonna make them sorry ever tried this Gray, how about letting us fight on your side? We sure like to be with you You mean that sure we'd like to be with a smart fellow like you I couldn't no I'm gonna know if I can trust you and you can I couldn't do anything that it hurt you. I suppose not Okay, come on in. I can use somebody to watch if the Indians start using fire hours. Come on Okay, I'll keep it covered soon as you get here. I'll take the bar off the gate. All right Now hurry up. I'm Indian see you there'll be all in here Won't open the gate wait till you get a little closer Can't take any chances Almost there Gray. You better open the door Yeah, just a little closer when Gray fired at me I dropped to the ground while Frank and the other officers returned the fire driving a man away from the window 1147 a.m. The additional men arrived from the office with tear gas equipment was distributed And we worked out a plan to take Gray It was decided that two men would cover the right side of the house while another team covered the back Frank and I would go around to the left side and fire tear gas shells into the building until Gray had to leave 1158 a.m. All of the officers were in position and Frank and I started to move in to use the tear gas gun Other building tell me I see her You just get out of that dirt. Go on now Would you get back on the house, please? We don't know when to get hurt here Then you just got to get right out of my area if you knock down one more bush and you're in trouble You don't understand ma'am. There's a man in that house and he's got a gun. I don't care about mr. Gray What he does is his own business. I'm just telling you to get out of my flowers All the year I've been worrying over trying to cope the blossom out of them Now you come around here with your big feet and ruin it all sorry about that We have to get gray out of that house then do it without stepping all over my flowers You're a cop. You're supposed to know how to handle things like this and look what you've done to my tubeless begonias Three months. I've been working with them. Just put them out last week and now look they're all broken You just ought to be ashamed of yourself big men like you doing a thing like this to my flowers It's a shame. Look ma'am if we hurt your flowers. We're sorry as you did Think you better get inside now lady. Are you telling me what to do? Yes, ma'am That's a direct order. Yes, ma'am All right. I'll go but you just remember you ordered me to go You're gonna hear about this young man. What's your number? Are you fine? What's the number on your badge? I intend to report you for this. You'll find out Poor tubeless begonias. You'll find out now. What's your number? Thank you want to handle it? Yeah, come on ma'am. We can talk right over here. Oh, you're gonna be using soft soap me out of it I'm gonna cause a lot of trouble a lot of it. Nothing if you can do to stop me If you'll just go on inside. Well, I'll talk to you later. All right. I'll be watching you I'll be right here watching you There's one for you. Oh, let's get on this. Right. I think we'll need the mask. Well, we shouldn't out here. How's it look out front? All right, go into a little moniker out there. Yeah, whenever you're ready. I should bring them out. I'll get another one ready Better hold it up. Here comes McCready. Right. Hey, hold it up. Joe. What do you got Jack? Just found out now. Gray's wife and kids are in there with him Sergeant Jack McCready was standing by in the manager's office when mrs. Gray had telephoned from the house With the possibility that innocent people might be hit. We were unable to fire into the home We met with cap and warm and then discussed the methods we could use to get the woman and children out of the place We worked out a plan It would depend entirely on being able to talk to mrs. Gray and explain what we were trying to do Frank and I went to the manager's place and put in a call to the house. How about it? Just starting to ring Figure it'll work. I don't know The only way we can make it go is to talk to the woman Explain the setup to her. Do you get in touch with the ops by the doctor? Yeah, they're sending a psychiatrist out You might be able to talk to gray. I hope so Anything? No, like when in trouble. Yeah, she won't answer the phone You are listening to dragnet the authentic story of your police force in action Without being able to talk to the woman there was little chance that the plan for getting her and the children out of the house would work 1 14 vm a large crowd of people had gathered on the street in front of the court Additional policemen from metro division had to be called into control From time to time deadly gray would scream something at the bystanders and fire into the crowd So far we've been able to keep the curious citizens back far enough so that none of them were hurt But it was only a matter of time before our luck ran out Meanwhile, we were still faced with the problem of first getting the wife and children out of the house Before we could attempt to take the man himself 1 29 vm While frank and sergeant jack McCready went around to the back of the house to ascertain the possibility of removing the family from that side I again attempted to talk to gray gray gray Come on gray. We want to talk to you. That's all that kills you any and Come on gray. We're police officers. We're trying to help you if you'll give us the chance You expect me to believe that the truth. No, that's what you say. I'll I'll give you something What's that you better get out of hand take your friends with you Soon as the cavalry gets here you're all comfy and troubled. Now come on gray. There isn't any cavalry. You're in los angeles You're sick gray. We want to help you if you'll give us the chance. I don't need nothing from you What about your wife and kids? You're gonna have them hurt. They're all right. Nothing's gonna get to them. They're all right They are gonna stay that way with you shooting that gun Well, you let me worry about it. They're my family. Ain't no concerning yours. They're mine You're gonna have them killed. Are you that's a lie? Why do you think i'm doing all this? It's for them So they can get out of here I want to put the indians swarm in all of the places for them. I'm doing this It's kind of hard to buy gray Hard to see what you're trying to protect them from What do you think you are to tell me that what you think i know what's going on All the time sitting in here looking at two people trying to take things away from me You don't think i know what's going on, huh? Well, you just save your breath save everything. I know what's right I know it and i'm doing it Tell you what we'll make a deal with you gray. What kind of deal can you make let your wife and kids come up Let us take care of them give us a chance to prove that we're on your side You can't catch me with that one again. You tried once before and it didn't work. Remember you tried once before We didn't cause you any trouble. I don't believe anything you say I will save your breath all you indians is tricky. You're not pulling me What about all the people out there in the street? Oh, what about us? You want to hurt them too? Be real honest with you more than you got to come up without the honest. All right I don't much care It's dumb enough to get caught in the middle of an indian war. It's their tough luck You've come close to shooting a couple of them, you know Now tell them to go back to their homes leave them fighting to the men Come on, gray. Let's get together and talk things over out here. What do you say? Stop them doing you get me out of the fort and you'll try something i'm not falling for that What and what are you trying to do? I don't know what you're talking about gray Don't try that would be you're trying to break it in the back of the place. Well, it won't work I'll take care of y'all Joe Joe get out of here. All right We're getting the gas equipment ready now. Yeah, we've got his family out While i'd kept gray busy in front of the house frank and jack McCready had gone around to the rear They'd found the room where mrs. Gray and the children were hiding By breaking a window they'd been able to remove them from the house The children were taken to one of the neighbors and mrs. Gray was waiting for me in the manager's place Outside the members of homicide detail. We're making preparations to get bedly gray out of the house Thank god you got us out of there. I don't know how to tell you It's all right now mrs. Gray the children were out there their next door. Don't worry about it What am i done? What are you going to do about him? Well, we're trying to get him to come out of the house. I'm gonna have to shoot him Well, that depends on how he wants it. Oh, he's sick. I just need nobody doesn't know what he's doing Sure, we know it But your husband's in there taking pot shots and anybody who comes near him only a matter of time before somebody gets so close He can't miss there's some way to get him to give up You're a policeman and things like this before seems like it'll be your job to get him out without hurting him Well, we're trying What caused this to happen? A lot of things sergeant Well, mrs. Gray if we knew what's wrong with him it might help could you give us some kind of an angle on it? I don't know how long it's been built and maybe a year maybe longer. It's hard to say Try to take care of the family keep it together Sometimes you don't see the size yes, it might be my fault I guess it is just all of a sudden things got too heavy for him to carry. He lost his job We couldn't pay the bills got so I wouldn't answer the phone because I knew it was somebody wanting their money I try to take it easy He didn't have any way to get the pressure off No way at all. It's finally gone All right go ahead You sure the children are all right for being taken care of yes, ma'am. They're fine. Are they having lunch? Many things they haven't eaten since this morning. I'm sure they'll be fat Now this is kind of picky with their food needs coaxing to eat. They'll be all right, mrs. Gray. Would you go on please? Well, it finally broke this morning Once it started there wasn't anything we could do marshal came over That's the manager Yes, he came over to ask dudley if he'd help with the painting mentioned that it'd be a way to pay some of the back rent Didn't mean anything. Dudley just took it the wrong way. What's that marshal told him about the rent I said it was nice of him to give dudley the chance to make it up. I didn't mean anything by it Yeah Maybe got up from the table and went into the living room and turned on the television didn't say a word to me Just got up and walked out Sat there watching a picture one of those cowboy things just sat there and watched it Kids went in tried to talk to him so died Tried to bring him out of it. He didn't even know we were in the room just sat there and looked at the picture Has your husband ever been under the care of a doctor? You mean for his mind? That's right No, I was afraid to ask in my shirt off, but it just seemed that it didn't mean another bill That was causing all the trouble. Anyway, I told you I was trying to believe that it wasn't anything serious Let it go away. Yeah Who'd been better to have the bill? He sat there for a while then he Just got up and walked into the closet picked up the rifle and told me and the kids to get into the back bedroom Said that they weren't going to take the place. Did you know what he meant? Well, no, not at first I knew there was something wrong, but I didn't know it would be as bad as this Is anybody your husband's particularly fond of We've been married for eight years sergeant. I guess I could qualify that is what I mean, man Is there anyone that he'd listen to a friend maybe a minister or a priest? No any friends he had have gone. They didn't understand his moves. There isn't anybody. All right, miss green Joe see you ma'am. Yeah Yes We ran out of time. Uh great just shot a cop The officer was not seriously wounded. He was removed to georgia street receiving hospital for treatment People in the adjoining units were evacuated The streets were cleared as much as possible and the men were in position to move in Frank jack McCready and I were opposite the front door of the house From mrs. Gray. We learned that her husband had several hundred rounds of ammunition for the rifle that he was using In addition to this he had several handguns and ample shells for them She told us that the other guns were located in the closet in the rear of the place It was decided to pour tear gas into the back windows and try to keep gray away from the other guns Frank was armed with a sawed-off shotgun loaded with double-arc buck. McCready had a 45 caliber machine gun The officers were in position and the signal was given There goes a gas gun. Yeah He should be coming out pretty quick. I hope we can take him without killing him. We'll try Gas is starting to come through the front window Go in. I quit. All right, throw the gun out gray. Throw the gun out No, I won't do it. Come on. Throw that gun out He's down. Come on. He's still got the gun He dead. No, you better get an ambulance. I'll take care of No, ma'am. He's gonna be all right, mrs. Gray. The doctor's on the way He didn't know what he was doing. That's all he didn't know what he was doing Yes, ma'am. He knows we love him. That's all that counts. We love him and want to take care of him He didn't think anybody cared. Maybe he wouldn't care. Well, you know everybody wasn't against him. You know people care Don't you think that's all it's wrong? I wouldn't know, ma'am, but he took the hard way to find out The names were changed to protect the innocent. On august 26th The preliminary hearing was held in the prison ward of the county hospital in and for the county of los angeles state of california Dudley peter gray was held to answer charges of assault with intent to commit murder He was examined by three psychiatrists appointed by the court and found to be insane He was confined to the state mental hospital at camarillo for treatment You have just heard dragnet the authentic story of your police force in action and starring jack webb A presentation of the united states armed forces radio service