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A Los Angeles court security officer said Friday that he was confident local procedures would prevent a shooting like the one that erupted in a courtroom in Atlanta just hours ago.
Atlanta authorities say 33-year-old Brian Nichols, who was on trial in a rape case at a courtroom, grabbed a deputy's gun and opened fire, killing a judge and a court reporter.
Nichols fled the courtroom, running eight stories down a stairwell to the street, killed a deputy and carjacked a vehicle.
"We have our procedures in place, and we feel confident in the procedures we are following," said Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Steve Wheatcroft of the Judicial Services Unit.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department provides security for the four dozen or so courthouses around the county.
Wheatcroft said the sheriff's procedures differ from those apparently in effect in Atlanta.
"We are unarmed when we escort our inmates from the lockup to the courtrooms," Wheatcroft said. In Atlanta, the escorting deputy was armed, and that officer's weapon was used by the inmate in the shooting, he said.
"Also, for the most part, our inmates are shackled or handcuffed while in transit," Wheatcroft said. In Atlanta, the inmate reportedly was neither handcuffed nor shackled, he said.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca said his department would review the Atlanta case to see if any local improvements are needed.
"We will evaluate our system in order to ensure that we are keeping abreast of the possibilities of attacks," Baca said.
(Xinhua News Agency March 12, 2005)
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