Detroit Page #5

did not overdose.

Don't put a rumor

on that, man.

I didn't say Trane overdosed.

But John Coltrane was a junkie

for years.

Love Supreme Trane

was high on dope.

I'm not saying

that's taking anything away...

...from the man

as a spiritual example.

He's one of my many saints.

But heroin

is what killed his liver.

I heard the FBI poisoned him.

FBI. You wanna know

how I know?

John Coltrane's wife

is a Detroit musician,

...same set as me.

Oh, so now you a trained

expert on Coltrane?

(CHUCKLES)

MALE NEWSCASTER:

Continuing coverage tonight...

...of the rioting

here in Detroit.

The National Guard

has been called in...

...and more than 3,200 people have

been arrested, most of them negros.

Updates will continue

throughout our broadcast...

Why is everything

always so violent?

You ask your people that?

Try a little revolution

with the English,

...all that "liberty or death?"

That ain't

so non-violent at all.

LARRY:
Man, she from Ohio.

I highly doubt she understands

your logic about liberty and death.

(LAUGHING)

Well, let's put it

in layman's terms.

Slide over, stripes.

You see,

...you white, ain't you?

(GASPS)

Brother.

You white, right?

See, y'all don't

have to deal with...

...the police nearly

as much as we do.

Unless, of course,

you're some...

Uncle Tom handkerchief head,

you know?

It's like... When you're

black, it's almost like...

...having a gun pointing

right at your face.

You understand that?

It's like this.

Hey, boy!

Get your hands off my plate.

Put the hot dog...

Step away from the mustard!

Put your hands down!

Don't... You nervous?

- You're making me nervous!

- LEE:
You got a gun on me.

This like police brutality

or something, man.

Oh. Oh... So you gonna tell me

how to do my job now?

- I'm not...

- So now you're the police officer...

...that tells me how to do my job

on my street?

What you doing

on my street, n*gger?

See, that's the way they like

to express themselves.

You know, "My street,

my house, my car."

That way they can take

everything from you.

- Larry.

- So again.

What you doing

on my street, boy?

LEE:
Did I do something

wrong, officer?

Did you do something wrong?

I ought to blow

your head right off.

Get that gun off me, man.

- Or what, boy?

- I said, get that gun off...

(GUNSHOT)

(SHRIEKS)

JULIE:
Oh, my God!

Oh, my God!

You shot him! Carl!

(LEE WHIMPERING) Lee!

CARL:
He shouldn't

have made a move.

Lee?

Hot dog, please! (LAUGHS)

(ALL LAUGHING)

- KAREN:
You're nuts!

- JULIE:
What?

- AUBREY:
Oh, man!

- KAREN:
You're nuts!

You're nuts!

It was just a starter pistol.

It just starts races.

It don't kill nobody,

- ...it don't hurt nobody.

- KAREN:
Crazy!

I'm just demonstrating

white power.

So am I, honey.

Sweetheart, baby,

it was just a joke.

Y'all can go

and get the hell out,

...you and your partner.

(ALL LAUGHING)

Thought they could

take a joke.

(LAUGHING)

(IMITATING LARRY)

I'm performing.

(LAUGHS)

Sorry, Larry,

they're usually nice guys.

No, come on. Don't let

those fools bother you.

Why don't we all go to my room

and relax for a little bit?

We told a friend

we'd drop by.

JULIE:
Maybe later.

Come on.

Find me later.

See you!

CARL:
I thought

everybody should know.

AUBREY:

But you scared them off, man.

But Karen though...

(SMACKS LIPS)

She was looking at me.

- Karen wasn't looking at you.

- Karen was feeling me, man.

She was like, "Hey, Aubrey!"

I was like, "Hey, Karen!"

POLICEMAN:
(ON SPEAKERS)

Disperse or you will be arrested.

AUBREY:
Julie!

(MEN LAUGHING)

We should teach

these pigs a lesson.

LEE:
What you

talking about, Carl?

Them right down there.

(LAUGHS)

LEE:
You know

if you shoot them,

...they're gonna

shoot us back, right?

How they gonna know

where it came from, Lee?

- It's not even possible.

- Just calm down, man.

Man, you chicken.

LEE:
It's already crazy

in here enough.

CARL:
Look.

They need to understand...

...that they can't be picking

on us all the time.

Y'all gotta be

with the program!

We're gonna

get our asses beat!

One, two.

Would you...

(GUNSHOT)

SOLDIER:

Get down! Hit the deck!

You guys okay?

- Who's shooting?

- From down there, maybe?

It could be

any one of those buildings.

Did you just hear

that gunshot, baby?

No, I didn't hear anything.

Anyway, you know

if I get a record deal,

...we gonna drive

a Cadillac, right?

(CHUCKLES)

Look, check him out!

(LAUGHING)

Run, Mr. Cracker, run!

(GUNSHOTS)

ROBERTS:
Get down!

EDDIE:
Muzzle flash!

By the Algiers,

could be a sniper.

(GUNSHOTS)

- Mike?

- I'm okay!

I didn't get hit!

Keifer Command, this is

Warrant Officer Roberts.

EDDIE:
Take cover!

ROBERTS:

Army taking sniper fire.

Algiers Motel vicinity,

on Virginia Park.

CARL:
Yeah, keep running.

(LAUGHING)

- LEE:
That was bad, brother.

- AUBREY:
That's crazy, man.

CARL:
Now everybody know

what it's like to be black.

(LAUGHING)

Police 2-4, potential sniper...

- ...in the area.

- Army taking fire.

DISPATCHER 1:

Near the Algiers Motel...

...on Virginia Park.

Sniper on the roof.

Sniper fire, sniper fire,

Virginia Park.

DISPATCHER 2:
Sniper

fire near the Algiers Motel.

10-4, on the way.

(TIRES SCREECHING)

(SIREN WAILING)

DISPATCHER 1:
Shots fired,

Virginia Park, sniper on the roof.

DISMUKES:
Sniper out there!

Lock the whole place up!

(PANTING)

Let's find that motherf***er.

(GUN C*CKS)

(DOGS BARKING)

Anyway, my boy Fred

was just telling me...

...that the rioting

is getting so bad,

...even Ford's thinking about

shutting down assembly for a day.

Larry, that's terrible.

LARRY:
Yeah, I know it is.

Maybe we should

make the most of it.

In a time of hate, love does

become more important.

Maybe the most important.

Why don't you come over here

and visit me?

We got a swimming pool

and I think...

...we need to spend

some time together.

My mom says

I can't leave the house.

But I want to.

Your mama, right.

- Give me some shells.

- DEMENS:
Here.

Thanks.

(GUNS COCKING)

(PEOPLE CLAMORING)

SOLDIER:
Move, move, move!

Move forward!

(SHOUTING)

SOLDIER 1:

Left hand, top window!

SOLDIER 2:

Spread out to the side!

Hey, y'all, there's a bunch

of police outside right now.

(SOLDIERS CLAMORING)

AUBREY:
Quit playing, man!

Why would I be playing?

Yo, is they lost?

SOLDIER 1:
Come on, move!

CARL:
I hope so!

What you mean? I don't know.

I don't know, man,

but it look like...

...they coming

right toward the house.

SOLDIER 2:
Go! Don't just

stand there! Move up!

Get in position!

- Close the windows!

- SOLDIER 2:
Window!

Hide everything!

Turn the lights off!

SOLDIER 2:
Sniper!

(GUNSHOTS)

(ALL SHOUT)

AUBREY:
Oh, sh*t!

LARRY:
Baby,

did you hear that?

FRED:
They're shooting at us!

I gotta go!

They're shooting us.

Larry!

Fred, you good?

You good?

AUBREY:

I don't wanna die, man!

CARL:

We gotta get out of here!

- AUBREY:
Man, don't get up!

- LEE:
Carl, stay down!

- They can't do this to us.

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