Detroit Page #10

You did nothing wrong.

I think I gotta say somethin'.

Hey. You made...

Demens.

Something that took one minute...

...should not define

your entire life.

You understand?

(DEMENS SIGHS)

You made a mistake.

You say what you need to say,

...and you move on.

That's how

you get out of this thing.

- All right?

- All right.

KRAUSS:
All right?

Yeah. You don't have to

lecture me, I know what to do.

There you go.

You were doing your job.

(CLEARS THROAT)

(DOOR OPENS)

You first, knucklehead!

All right.

(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS

CONTINUE)

Flynn!

(DOOR OPENS)

DETECTIVE:

All right. Let's go, ladies.

I'll be with you

in a few minutes.

Well?

Some things were said

in there.

(STAMMERS) Such as?

You stupid...

You motherf***er, you're dead.

You're f***ing dead.

You too?

We're all going down.

Phil, listen. It's...

- No. No.

- Just listen to me.

- Get the f*** out of my way.

- FLYNN:
Phil!

(SIREN BLARING)

(BANGING ON DOOR)

I got nothing to say

without my union lawyer.

Are you kidding me,

you racist f***?

Get out of the car

before I break your neck.

I couldn't say for sure who

went inside the building first.

Um...

There were five,

...maybe six state police.

We have complete statements

from your partners.

We know you shot those kids.

So just go from there.

No. No.

I don't recall

doing that. Uh...

Bang his head against

the table. Might help.

Hey.

I'm trying to help here.

I'm trying to be thorough.

So, you wanna know...

...how many state police

were on the scene,

...how many National Guard?

I can't tell if you're stupid

or smart,

...but I'm willing to

find out. (DOOR OPENS)

Don't say another word.

Come on.

What's the point?

Coercive testimony

will be tossed.

(DOOR CLOSES)

(SCOFFS)

(BANGING ON DOOR)

Larry!

Yo, you sure he's home?

Give him a minute.

Man, what?

What's so important?

MORRIS:
The record company

called, baby!

They wanna hear our music

at the studio!

Oh, and they called you?

Yeah, man. They said

they tried to call you...

...but you never

called them back.

JIMMY:
This is what

we've been working for, man.

They wanna hear

The Dramatics!

(SCOFFS) So what?

You Mr. Show Business now?

This isn't professional.

Call at business hours,

not 3:
00 in the morning.

MORRIS:
But Larry...

Larry! It's a record company,

man. They don't keep banking hours.

Come on.

(ON SPEAKER) Listen, you guys

had better sound good...

...because I'm broke.

(CHUCKLING)

(ALL CHUCKLE)

Let me hear that blend.

(MORRIS CLEARS THROAT)

Uh, yes, sir.

- Are you guys ready?

- Yeah.

One, two.

One, two, three, four.

(SINGING) Look in my eyes

And don't you see water?

And it's all

because of you

Well look at me

I ain't acting like I oughta

And it's all

because of you

Ooh

Ooh

(CLEARS THROAT) Uh, George,

can we get a minute?

- Come on.

- GEORGE:
Yeah, hurry back.

Look, what is

in your head, man?

'Cause you ain't singin'

in there.

How am I supposed to sing

with what happened to Fred?

Look, you just do it.

Sing while my boy

is lying dead?

Look, a song ain't words

on a page, man.

That ain't music.

Music is what you put into it...

...and you can make that

whatever you want.

I'm not singing so white

motherfuckers can dance!

Well, them pale motherfuckers

ain't dancing for free!

(SIGHS)

Since when do you care

if white folks dance anyway?

(SIGHING)

MALE REPORTER:
During the week

of rioting in Detroit,

...three negros were shot

to death in a motel room.

Police and the Guardsmen

had raided the motel,

...searching for snipers.

Later,

witnesses to the shootings...

...said the three negros

had been lined up...

...and shot in cold blood

by the officers.

Today, two police officers

were arrested...

...and charged with the murders...

...of two of the negros

shot in the motel.

The officers,

one with two years' service,

...the other with four...

...and no previous

misconduct charges,

...were ordered

held without bail.

They pleaded not guilty.

Their attorney said...

...the arrests

were a shame and a pity.

Police Commissioner,

Ray Girardin,

...refused to discuss

the facts of the case,

...except to say

the two officers...

Who do you got mail for?

MAILMAN:
Larry Cleveland Reed?

Larry!

(MUSIC PLAYING ON RADIO)

Larry, you got a letter.

From the government.

(GROANS)

- Thank you.

- You're welcome.

(DOOR CLOSES)

(MEN CLAMORING)

FRED:
I didn't do nothin'!

I didn't do nothin'!

- KRAUSS:
Lie down.

- LEE:
Please, man!

KRAUSS:
I will kill you

one by one...

...until you tell me

exactly what is going on here.

Don't look at me. Turn around.

Start praying!

FLYNN:
Get down! Get up!

Get the f*** up! Get up!

Bullshit!

Stop f***ing lying to me!

LEE:
Carl ain't got no gun.

KRAUSS:
One of the guests

is dead.

AUBREY:
Please don't shoot.

Please.

DEMENS:
Where's the gun?

AUBREY:
Please don't shoot me, man!

FRED:
Officer,

can I say something?

I think you have

the wrong house.

MALE NEWSCASTER:

In the Algiers Motel case,

...both the prosecution

and the defense...

...in their opening statements...

...reminded the all-white jury

of the racial violence...

...that seared Detroit

two summers ago.

ATTORNEY LANG:
Now, Mr. Reed,

before the police...

...or military personnel

started firing,

...to your knowledge, had there

been any sniper fire...

...from inside the Algiers Motel

or annex?

LARRY:
No.

And did you see anyone

in the motel that night...

...with a gun of any kind

in their hand...

...outside of police officers

or military personnel?

I saw someone shoot a toy gun

at one of his friends.

A toy gun.

AUERBACH:
(CHUCKLES) Mr. Reed.

Isn't it a fact that your head...

...was against the wall

for most of the evening?

No, sir, it is not.

My hands were against the wall

for most of the evening.

That's a fact.

I asked about your head.

My head is attached

to my neck.

It moves. This way, and that.

(ALL CHUCKLING)

AUERBACH:
And yet, it cannot

turn completely around...

...to see what's behind you?

Unless you have

a special skill...

...this courtroom

should know about?

(ALL CHUCKLE)

You said you saw the flash

before you heard the gunshot.

Was that your testimony?

Well, it was pretty confusing.

Well, which is it?

Which came first?

Did you see the flash?

When did you hear the body

hit the floor?

I can't say for sure.

You said you were

just outside the door.

You also said

you might be confused,

...that you don't know

what point in time...

...these things happened.

So, are you confused?

I saw the flash,

just through the door.

What I need to know is,

...did you see Aubrey Pollard...

...make a threatening move

toward my client?

Or are you perhaps confused

on that point as well?

Yes, sir.

Being a military man,

...you would be able

to distinguish...

...between the uniforms

of a National Guardsman...

...and that of a Detroit police

officer. Is that correct?

I suppose.

And so you say...

...that the man who took one

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