A helicopter will be on the roof of the federal courthouse to whisk away participants in the Rodney King case after a verdict, a defense attorney says.
Acquittals in the four police officers' state trial led to riots that left more than 50 people dead last year.On Thursday, defense attorney Harland Braun was arguing that King's testimony about officers using racial slurs be stricken "so as not to exacerbate public concern about the case."
"There's a helicopter waiting on top of this building to lift us off after a verdict," Braun said.
"Is that so?" U.S. District Judge John G. Davies asked.
"That's what I've been told," said Braun.
"Who is going to provide it?" asked the judge.
"I don't know," said Braun. "I hate helicopters because of the `Twilight Zone' case. I'm not getting on."
"That's amazing," said the judge.
"Amazing but true," one of the prosecutors said.
Braun was a defense attorney in the trial of movie director John Landis and four others. They were charged with manslaughter after actor Vic Morrow and two children were killed when a helicopter fell on them during the filming of "Twilight Zone: The Movie."
Davies refused to strike from the record King's testimony that he heard officers call him "nigger" during the beating. He later said he wasn't sure whether they said "nigger" or "killer."
In Washington, U.S. Marshals Service spokesman Bill Licatovich said: "I can tell you we will take whatever steps are necessary to make sure people involved in the trial are safe and secure. But I can't comment on specific details of what steps we will take."