L.A. Confidential Page #6

EXLEY:

What's going on?

COP:

They got the spics who japped

Helenowski and Brown. Helenowski

lost an eye and Brown's got brain

damage.

EXLEY:

I have the report right here.

They're home with bruises and

muscle pulls -- Oh sh*t...

Exley starts out after them.

INT. CELL BLOCK - NIGHT

Stensland in the lead. Pulling out a blackjack, he

enters Cell #4, begins wailing on one of the Mexicans --

Dinardo.

STENSLAND:

For ours, Pancho. And you're

getting off easy.

Cheered on by drunks in the tank and his fellow officers,

Stensland goes wild. He's joined by Lentz, Crumley and

Tristano. Shaking his head, Jack Vincennes moves away.

INT. SQUAD ROOM - NIGHT

Bud types his report with one finger. Jack looks in.

JACK:

White, you better get a lease on

Stens before he kills someone.

INT. CELL BLOCK - NIGHT

Followed by Jack, Bud forces his way through the crowd.

The men who see it's him quickly clear a path.

Swigging from a pint of gin, Stensland works skinny

GARCIA. Head saps. The kid drops to his knees drooling

blood.

Bud grabs Stensland, hauls him off of Garcia who looks

up.

GARCIA:

F*** you, pendejo.

BUD:

Yeah yeah...

GARCIA:

And f*** your mother too.

Bud sees red. Letting go of Stensland, Bud White picks

up Garcia by the neck. There are cheers, "Attaboys" and

"Holy Fucks" as Bud bangs Garcia's head on the ceiling.

EXLEY:

(arriving)

Stop, Officer! That's an order!

Cops block Exley's way. As Bud looks over, Garcia kicks

him in the balls. A dangling shot. Bud keels into the

bars, Garcia stumbles out of the cell, smack into Jack.

Jack looks down aghast at blood on his cashmere blazer,

then puts Garcia down with a left-right.

Exley pulls a pad of paper and pen form his pocket.

EXLEY:

You're going in my report! All of

you!

Exley has just started taking names when Bud grabs him by

the scruff of the neck and hauls him off balance into...

HALL:

As Exley struggles, a cop opens the door to the store

room. Bud slings Exley inside, then slams the door

tight. Exley is locked in. As Bud moves off, we hear

POUNDING.

EXLEY (V.O.)

Let me out! That's an order!

CELL BLOCK:

The Herald Reporter and photographer enter unchaperoned

and unnoticed. Stensland swings like a madman. That's

when a flashbulb goes off. Freezing everyone in black

and white.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. CHIEF'S OFFICE - DAY

The CHIEF sits behind a desk in a four-star uniform.

Dudley Smith sits to his left, D.A. Ellis Loew to his

right. Seen earlier at the Mickey Cohen press

conference, Loew is the only civilian. Bud White stands

across from them. There to be judged.

CHIEF:

Officer White, you've refused to

cooperate with Internal Affairs.

But you should know this is bigger

than a police board. Indictments

may be handed down. Quite

frankly, we need police witnesses

to offset the damage done to the

Department's image. Will you

testify?

Bud glances to a gray tinted mirror, then to the Chief.

BUD:

No, sir. I won't.

The Chief sighs, looks to Loew.

CHIEF:

District Attorney Loew.

Loew steps to Bud, holds up a newspaper with the cell

block photo. The headline: "BLOODY CHRISTMAS."

LOEW:

Bloody Christmas. The press love

to label. You and Officer

Stensland brought the liquor into

the precinct. Stensland was

already drunk. Do you see how

appearing as a voluntary witness

against him could offset the

damage you've done to yourself?

BUD:

I won't do it.

(staring at mirror)

I won't testify against my partner

or anyone else.

LOEW:

This man is a disgrace.

CHIEF:

Your badge and gun, Officer.

Bud sets them on The Chief's desk.

CHIEF:

This is the new L.A.P.D., White.

You're suspended from duty and

dismissed.

Turning, White shoots the mirror a stiff middle finger as

he makes his way out. Dudley Smith hides a smile.

OTHER SIDE OF GLASS

Exley watches, involuntarily leans back as Bud passes on

the other side of the glass.

THE CHIEF'S OFFICE

Dudley, Loew and The Chief wait as Exley enters.

CHIEF:

Ed, your observations have been

astute. What's your assessment of

this situation?

EXLEY:

The public demands justice, sir.

This was a full-fledged riot of

policemen. Shift the guilt to men

whose pensions are secured. Force

them to retire. But someone has

to swing. Indict, try and convict

Stensland and Bud White. Secure

them jail time. Feed them to the

sharks, sir. Protect yourself;

protect the department.

Dudley gives Exley a look. He's angry with him.

DUDLEY:

Stensland's a disgrace. Straight

D fitness reports from every C.O.

he ever served under. But White

is a valuable officer.

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