obstructed his line of fire, and furthermore, only Houston would have had a clear view of the sniper's head to fire the fatal blasts.
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There are other facts that are not in dispute. A total of thirty-three missiles were fired at Whitman by Ramiro and Houston. Ramiro fired six rounds from his revolver; Houston fired eighteen pellets in two shots. Ramiro fired another nine pellets at very short range from one shotgun blast. To seek to determine which of the two men killed Charles Whitman is to search for the pellet or bullet that inflicted not only a fatal injury, but the first injury that might have been fatal. Even if possible, such a search would be extraordinarily unproductive, serving only to legitimize the notion that such a discovery is a prize to be won. Chief Miles initially stated that no one should seek or take "credit" for killing another human being, a wise statement he should have stuck to. Regardless of how justified or necessary, the killing of a person, even someone as evil as Charles Whitman, should not be an occasion for celebration. Selflessness, courage, and the rescue of an entire university from the clutches of a killer deserve recognition. In that respect, two Austin policemen, Ramiro Martinez and Houston McCoy, side by side, faced identical dangers to bring the madness to an end. Killing and death are not measures of courage; if so, Whitman would have been the bravestan absurd notion. Would Martinez and McCoy have demonstrated less courage had they taken Whitman alive?
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It can hardly be denied, however, that Ramiro Martinez has received the bulk of the recognition for killing Charles Whitman. The
Deadly Tower
movie ended the politeness of the debate. The controversy has focused some attention on the role Houston McCoy played in ending the incident, but unfortunately, more space and time have been focused on the argument than the deed. Some who resent how Houston has been overlooked have postulated a number of different reasons for the historical oversight. Houston has suggested that, in part, he is to blame; West Texans grow up in a culture "where you just don't talk a lot about yourself."
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Others claim that the Hispanic community adopted Ramiro Martinez as a hero, and that fact somehow exaggerated the recognition he received. Unlike many controversies associated with the Whitman case, the evidence is clear: the reason Ramiro Martinez was identified as the slayer of Charles Whitman cannot be traced to the actions of newspaper
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