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musicNEWS: Meatpuppet Kirkwood Denied Bail


01-03-04 Keavin
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A federal judge on Wednesday denied bond to former Meat Puppets bassist Cris Kirkwood, claiming that the rocker was a flight risk because of his previous drug convictions and probation violations. The judge also said that the incident that landed Kirkwood in jail demonstrated that he is a risk to the community. 

Kirkwood, 43, was charged with assault with a deadly weapon at a federal facility after he allegedly assaulted a security guard with the guard's baton during an argument over a parking space with another patron outside a post office in Phoenix. The skirmish ended when the guard shot Kirkwood in the back. 

Kirkwood told the FBI that he was sitting on a post office bench waiting for his girlfriend when the guard asked him to leave. Kirkwood alleges that the guard then hit him on the head from behind as he attempted to walk out the door. 

At that point, Kirkwood claims that he took the baton away from the guard and hit the guard with a fist before throwing the baton to the ground. Then the guard shot him in the back as he tried to walk away. 

Thomas Goodrum, the guard, told authorities that the scuffle started after Kirkwood reportedly pushed him twice. After being pushed, Goodrum reportedly hit Kirkwood at least twice on the knee with his baton. Then Kirkwood reportedly grabbed the baton and struck Goodrum in the head with it, dislodging the guard�s glasses, who then reportedly drew his firearm and shot at Kirkwood. 

Kirkwood was rushed to the hospital and treated for the gun shot wound. His attorney requested that the court release his client on bail citing his medical condition. Due to the gunshot wound, Kirkwood can only walk with the assistance of a walker. He suffers from inoperable bullet fragments near his spine and in his pelvic area, and is also under methadone treatment for a drug addiction. 

The judge denied the request, citing Kirkwood's past drug convictions, failures to appear in court and probation violations. 

"You are out of control," Judge Mathis told Kirkwood.

However, the judge did tell Kirkwood that he could interview for a place in a halfway house.

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