Theres long been debate/argument about weather Officer’s Fouke & Zelms stopped and spoke with Zodiac at or near the intersection to Jackson & Maple Streets back on that October night in 1969. Sadly, only Months after this encounted, on January 1st, 1970 Officer Eric Zelms was shot and killed while responding to a routine burglary call. So, that only leaves one Officer and his testimony, Officer Donald Fouke. We may never be able to ‘know’ for sure what happened on Jackson St that night in regards to the Officers and Zodiac, but what we can do is look at the bigger picture, and not just focus on ‘he said she said’ claims.

What do we know for a fact, or that is at least agreed and not contested?

Officers Don Fouke and Eric Zelms were on routine patrol on Presidio Avenue, when a call came across the radio of a shooting at Washington & Cherry Street. The two officers then head for the scene. They turn West onto Jackson Street, and as they approach the intersection of Maple Street they notice, on the North side of the street, A white male adult. The suspect description had been incorrectly broadcast by the dispatcher as A BMA (Black Male Adult). Fouke says that seeing it was a White Male, they continued on past the man up Jackson Street toward Cherry St. Officer Armond Pelissetti claim’s Fouke had told him that he had actually stopped and spoken with the White Male, and asked him had he seen anyone in the area? Fouke denies this ever happened.

Officer Fouke, in fact, did not even mention at all that he had even seen anyone on Jackson St, Black, White, or any other color. He simply didn’t report it. The theory that many people have is, once it was discovered that not only was the suspect white, but two days later it was also discovered that the Cab Shooter wasn’t just any petty criminal, but was actually the most wanted man in California, the Officers kept quiet about the sighting fearing the repremand from senior Officers if it was learned they had stopped the Zodiac on the street, and let him walk away into the night.

The incident took place on Oct. 11,1969. Officer Fouke does not mention having seen any suspect’s in his official report. Then, almost exactly one month later, on Nov. 9th, 1969, Zodiac decides to show his hand, and it seems he has an ace up his sleeve! Zodiac writes to the press…
"p.s. 2 cops pulled a goof abot 3 min after I left the cab. I was walking down the hill to the park when this cop car pulled up + one of them called me over + asked if I saw anyone acting suspicious or strange in the last 5 to 10 min + I said yes there was this man who was runnig by waveing a gun & the cops peeled rubber + went around the corner as I directed them + I disappeared into the park a block + a half away never to be seen again

It is only now, on Nov. 12, 1969, Three says after Zodiac letter arrives in which he mentions his encounter with Police, does Officer Fouke come foreward and write an official report admitting that he had, in fact, encountered a white male on Jackson St, but insists he did not stop and speak to the man.

So, it come’s down to this:
Can we really believe Fouke when he says he didn’t speak with Zodiac, when we allready know that he kept quiet and didn’t even admit to seeing him at all on the street untill a Month after the incident had happened, and only did so then because Zodiac had backed the him into a corner by openly declaring that he’d encountered Cops on his way ‘down the hill to the park’. If Fouke was reluctant to report even seeing him, untill Zodiac took it out of his hands by telling the world himself in a letter he had, then why should we expect Fouke to be eager to admit stopping him?

I believe Fouke did stop and speak with Zodiac. Not just because Officer Pelessetti makes that claim, but because Fouke’s description of the Man he saw is far to detailed to simply be remembered from a 5/10 second sighting while driving past.

Finally, I am in no way attempting to paint Officer Fouke in a bad light, or as deceptive or any other negative term. I have said before, and i’ll say again, while Fouke may be deliberately holding back on telling the full story of that night, he may have some very good reasons to do so that we are not aware of. So, keeping this in mind, I will say again, even i Fouke is not being truthful about speaking with Zodiac, he may have one or more very valid and real reasons for doing so.
The purpose of this thread is to try and show why I think Fouke did stop Zodiac, based on his reluctance to report even seeing him untill Zodiac’s letter ‘let the cat out of the bag’, I therefor believe he probably also stopped him. But, because there may be a very real reason for Fouke to not make this public (after all, we are dealing with a serial murderer here).