BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- Actor Todd Bridges of the 'Diff'rent Strokes' television series will be arraigned Tuesday in Beverly Hills Municipal Court on charges of carrying a concealed weapon and a loaded firearm in a vehicle.
Bridges, 18, was stopped by Beverly Hills police July 20 after he sped through a red light in his 1980 Porsche. Police found a loaded .45-caliber automatic pistol in an opening in the driver's door and bullets in a briefcase.
Bridges' attorney, Maxwell Keith, said his client would plead not guilty to the charges against him and would await a pre-trial.
The black actor claims he was carrying the gun to protect himself from threats against his life, which he says have been numerous. Because of the threats, Bridges says he is selling his San Fernando Valley house because of harassment -- including alleged gunfire -- from men he believes are Ku Klux Klansmen.
Bridges said a carload of men claiming to be Ku Klux Klan members drove by and fired a rifle, narrowly missing him, as he stood in front of his Canoga Park home last month.
A few weeks before the shooting incident, some men showed up at his door with a baseball bat, he said.
'They said they wanted to show Todd Bridges the neighborhood,' Bridges said.
Bridges, who portrays brother Willis opposite Gary Coleman in the NBC-TV series, said he is worried about being followed and further threats.
'I've been staying in a lot and not leaving my house,' he said, noting he was selling the house. 'They got John Lennon. They could get me.'
A note left on his car warned him to 'get out or we'll get you out,' said Bridges, which prompted him to start carrying a loaded .45-caliber automatic pistol.
Bridges may face further complications in court Tuesday because of a warrant issued for his arrest for not appearing in court on a previous traffic violation. Three other traffic violations for Bridges are currently on court record but have not yet gone to warrant.
