addendum: blood sports and California courts

10:41 p.m., 2002-03-19

PROSECUTOR STOPS INMATE FROM FLEEING COURTROOM

Santa Cruz, Calif. (AP) -- A prosecutor with a black belt in aikido used his martial arts training to stop an inmate who had jumped through the jury box and tried to flee the courtroom.

Dave Genochio, who has worked with the Santa Cruz County District Attorney's office for 20 years, used a move called "tenchi nage," throwing his left arm across the inmate's upper body and sending him into a row of seats.

"It was awesome," said prosecutor Jeff Rossell, who was in the courtroom. "It was like poetry in motion."

Neither the inmate, Peter Hurd, nor Genochio was hurt.

Aikido of Arlington correspondent Benjamin Weber adds: Eyewitnesses reported that the inmate appeared to "blend harmoniously with the benches" just before his head "achieved unity with the floor."

"I haven't seen anything that nifty since my eighth viewing of 'Exit Wounds,'" commented courtroom bailiff Billy Ray Abromowitz.

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