COURTHOUSE SHOOTING TALE OF COURAGE.Byline: DENNIS McCARTHY Dennis McCarthy may refer to:
Two of the stars of the San Fernando San Fernando, city, Argentina San Fernando (săn fərnăn`dō), city (1991 pop. 144,761), Buenos Aires prov., E Argentina. It is a district administrative center in the Greater Buenos Aires area. Valley's most riveting riv·et·ing adj. Wholly absorbing or engrossing one's attention; fascinating: The last chapter was so riveting that I was reading past midnight. , one-day reality show met for the first time Thursday, and compared notes on how their lives have changed since a TV camera crew caught a gunman trying to kill one of them outside the Van Nuys Courthouse last month. ``It's amazing a·maze v. a·mazed, a·maz·ing, a·maz·es v.tr. 1. To affect with great wonder; astonish. See Synonyms at surprise. 2. Obsolete To bewilder; perplex. v.intr. , I've gotten calls for interviews from all over the world - Japan, Germany, Brazil, and even China,'' said 40-year-old attorney Dave Katz, who wrestled the accused gunman to the ground. ``Me, too,'' said 53-year-old attorney Gerald Curry, who was caught by TV cameras bobbing and weaving behind a small tree as the gunman shot at him. Curry was wounded in the neck, right arm, and on the left side of his torso. The suspect, 64-year-old William Strier, who authorities said was angry over disputed payments from a trust fund, is being held on $1 million bail on suspicion of attempted murder In the criminal law, attempted murder is committed when the defendant does an act that is more than merely preparatory to the commission of the crime of murder and, at the time of these acts, the person has a specific intention to kill. . Curry paid a surprise visit to meet Katz at the Courageous Citizens Awards, sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Northridge and the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. County District Attorney's Office. Katz was one of four local men honored during the ceremony at the Odyssey Restaurant in Granada Hills. ``I want to thank you for what you did, making sure he didn't get away,'' Curry said, as he met Katz outside the restaurant. ``It took a lot of courage. I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. if I would have done what you did.'' Katz, who was at the Van Nuys Courthouse that day serving as a pro tem [Latin, For the time being.] An abbreviation used for pro tempore, Latin for "temporary or provisional." A person who acts as a temporary substitute serves pro tem. traffic judge, thanked Curry, but said he wasn't so sure about that courage thing. People have been trying to call him a hero, but he doesn't see himself as one. ``I've had a lot of time to reflect since that day,'' said Katz, who is also a reserve deputy for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department This article is about the Los Angeles County Sherriff's Department, not to be confused with the smaller Los Angeles County Police The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) is a local law enforcement agency that serves Los Angeles County, California. . ``Had I seen the actual shooting, I might have reacted in a different fashion.'' Might have done what everyone else who was there that day did when they saw the gunman firing at Curry from point-blank range the extent of the apparent right line of a ball discharged. See also: Point-blank as the attorney tried to take cover behind a small tree. Everyone froze. Katz, however, who was walking to the courthouse parking structure when he heard the shots, ran and tackled the suspect. Others piled on. ``I had to tell people to get off (the pile) because I couldn't reach his hand to pin it to the ground,'' Katz said. ``He was trying to reach inside his jacket pocket for the gun. That's when I saw he had a second gun on him, too.'' People all over the world have seen that riveting videotape - seen the second, third, fourth, and fifth shots fired at Curry until the suspect finally put the gun in his pocket and calmly tried to walk away. No one, though, saw the first shot, Curry said. Except him. ``It was fired from point-blank range, a few feet from my face, and should have hit me in the forehead,'' Curry said. ``The bullet could have easily killed me, but it grazed graze 1 v. grazed, graz·ing, graz·es v.intr. 1. To feed on growing grasses and herbage. 2. Informal a. To eat a variety of appetizers as a full meal. my neck instead. ``The Lord was looking down on me that day,'' Curry said. ``Absolutely,'' Katz agreed. Curry is back at work in his Canoga Park law offices, and has had only one nightmare since that day. ``In the dream, I'm in a house that's not mine,'' he said. ``It's pitch black inside, and someone's trying to kill me. Other than that one dream I haven't had any nightmares, and I'm not even sure if that one is related to what happened to me.'' His recovery from his wounds is coming along fine, Curry said. A cast on his right forearm should be coming off next week, and a scar on his neck where a bullet is still lodged is the only outward sign that Curry was ever shot. The shooting may be the most riveting, one-day reality TV show of the year, but people don't recognize the attorneys when they go about their business, and that's good, the men said. They've both been able to get on with their lives at home, except for those calls from all over the world from media wanting an interview. ``I guess you don't see something like that live on TV very much,'' Katz said. No, you don't. Courageous Citizens Awards were also given to Fred Thayer of Granada Hills, who rushed into a burning home in his neighborhood to pull a 4-year-old child out of the flames. Unfortunately, the child did not survive his injuries, but Thayer was commended for his bravery. ``It was a reactive thing,'' Thayer said. ``I didn't think about it, I just did it. I would hope someone would do the same for me.'' Pedro Gonzalez Pedro Gonzalez:
Dennis McCarthy, (818) 713-3749 dennis.mccarthy(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Shooting victim Gerald Curry, left, talks to David Katz
Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion