September 16, 1957
Pilot Tells How He
Directed
Police Cars in Chase of
Gunmen
By PAUL PRESBREY.
Minneapolis Tribune
Staff Writer
"I was patrolling east over St. Paul when I was dispatched to the Anoka area to assist in the chase," Robert Buckman, one of the highway patrol's two pilots explained Saturday night after landing.
It was Buckman who spotted the fugitives' automobile after the pursuing patrolman had lost it. He then directed the ground hunt by swooping low over the hiding gunmen.
From the air he saw them shoot the hostage, fire on Patrolman James Crawford saw the flashes of Crawford's return fire and then watched them "hide in the grass."
"IT WAS NOT until later that I knew two of them were dead," Buckman said.
"I could see them Lying in the grass but now as I recall it, I really saw only one move. Up in the air it's pretty hard to fly as low as I was and know whether there is any noticeable change in someone's position in grass like that."
"When I got the call I |started up to New Brighton and then wanted to go up No. 8 but the rain was right to the ground and I had to fly east to No 61 to avoid it. I found I was in the clear at Hugo and headed back to No. 8 and then northwest to the game farm.
"I CONTACTED Jim and found that he and Ken (Keneth Cziok) had lost them. Jim told me to go north and then I spotted the car with the red bottom and white top and took out after it,
"I called to Jim and Ken to come toward me on a dirt road and then I saw the car go into the ditch. It was traveling about 55 or 60 at the time but wasn't damaged very much.
"I saw four people get out and one seemed to be being dragged along. I told Jim and Ken to slow down and watch out.
"I saw Jim get out on one side and Ken on the other. Then the men broke for the grass. Then there seemed to be only three and one was lying on the ground near the road. That I found out was hostage
"THEN I SAW Jim down on his knee shooting. I could see the flashes of his gun. He looked like he was right out t the open. I was really sweating it out with him.
"I could see at least one moving and the others I thought were just lying in he grass waiting to get a shot at the officers.
"The only real scare I had vas when some other plane without a- radio came in and started circling the same area.
"I got along side of him and tried to wave him down but the people in it just waved back.
"Finally he saw the highway patrol emblem and got out of there.
"I had enough to do watching the killers and trying to direct patrol cars into the area without having to dodge, that plane"
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