The Wire s03e12 Episode Script
Mission Accomplished
- Who's got the scene? - Massey and Crutchfield.
Norris is on his way to the morgue.
He'll beat the bodies there.
- How about the crime lab? - Can he get enough oxygen? He's getting the full treatment, boss.
We're good there.
Just one witness so far.
And you know what that means.
Right now, it's all BNBG.
It's Andy Kraw's big adventure.
Mayor's office already called twice, worried sick about the man.
You're kidding me.
That's a whole lot of campaign contributions sitting on the back of that ambo.
- So, what's the scene say? - Two shooters.
Shotgun, semi-auto.
One vic is a West Side soldier with a pretty healthy sheet.
The other is a major player in Daniels' wiretap case.
So, a hit.
Drug related.
But a big-time developer in the middle? What's the fit? Second vic, Russell Bell.
Owner and co-developer of this here.
And other downtown real estate.
Well-propertied man he was.
But you were aware that Russell Bell was regarded as a major narcotic violator? How do you think he made his money? I didn't inquire.
So, you never got a look at either of the gunmen? I told you, I saw only the one of them.
He was black.
Big, I thought.
With a large weapon.
BNBG.
Big negro, big gun.
Two more like it upstairs.
Yeah? Have ballistics rush comparisons.
Drug-relateds for the last six months.
I caught him, Bunk.
On the wire.
I caught him.
And he doesn't fucking know it.
When you walk through the garden You gotta watch your back Well, I beg your pardon Walk the straight and narrow track Walk the straight and narrow track If you walk with Jesus He's gonna save your soul You gotta keep the devil Way down in the hole He got fire and the fury Fire and fury At his command Well, you don't have to worry Hold on to Jesus' hands Oh, we'll be safe from Satan When the thunder rolls Oh You gotta keep the devil Way down in the hole You gotta keep the devil Way down in the hole Way down Way down in the hole Boxing, yeah.
I know you loved that.
I hated it.
I hated watching it.
Yeah, I know you did.
So you're doing good, huh? - Day to day, I am.
- Because I was thinking, maybe I'm proud of you, Dennis.
Be well.
Shut that fucking door.
Man, fuck it.
I'm ready for this shit.
These niggers is snapping on us.
You see? Do you believe this fucking shit? Some shit like this would've never happened with Yo, Slim, man.
Just say the word.
Say the motherfucking word.
Shit is on.
What's up, B? You all right? We gonna bounce back on the motherfucker no question.
- Bounce back on who? - Marlo, boss.
- Oh, he gonna fall.
- Marlo ain't got shit to do with it.
Marlo couldn't get String like that.
String died cos of some other shit.
- What? - He died because of some other shit, nigger.
I couldn't fix it.
I tried.
That nigger, String, was right about this shit, man.
That nigger was right.
Fuck Marlo.
Fuck this fucking war.
All this beef over a couple of fucking corners.
Don't matter who did what to who at this point.
Fact is, we went to war, and now there ain't no going back.
I mean, shit, it's what war is, you know? Once you in it, you in it.
If it's a lie, then we fight on that lie.
But we gotta fight.
Got this out of his pocket.
I got no idea.
- It's a cell chip from a phone.
- Ah.
- What else did you get off him? - 200 cash, set of keys, license.
President Street address? I got Landsman banging out a warrant for the place.
Fuck the politics for a minute.
- What if the man happens to be right? - Legalising drugs? Crime is down in his district and the people there are OK with it.
Look, if you don't exist, what happens here? If there's no Tommy Carcetti, what's likely to happen? The mayor and Burrell shut this thing down.
I figure the mayor's trying to find a way to shut it down to make it look like it was an enforcement plan.
Otherwise he'd have moved to end it already.
Makes sense, but no matter what, Colvin's little experiment is finished.
Come on, Tommy.
They dealt you a winning hand and you're acting like you forgot how to play.
Mr.
Mayor, call it legalisation and my office can't live with it.
- Agreed.
No one can.
- But harm reduction? That could sell, provided there's a reduction in the crime rate.
Harm reduction.
Sounds good.
Steven, what if we were able to suggest limiting our street-level enforcement? We were concentrating our resources on high-level traffickers.
How would that play? If I could show off that kind of casework, maybe.
But they've been doing street rips for so long, I don't think a high level exists.
What if we said no major traffickers were allowed in the free zone, that all major That the major violators were still being targeted? Are you suggesting some kind of admissions criteria for the zones? - How would that work? - I don't know that it would.
I'm just saying that for the sake of public perception.
Come on, people, work with me on this thing! Fucked up, man.
Marlo need to get his ass dropped, him and all his crew.
- They gonna fall, son.
You'll see.
- All right, let me know.
That's the word on the wire, anyway.
Every mention puts it on Marlo Stanfield's crew, which means the war's gonna ratchet up, no question.
- Where's Jimmy? - He went with Bunk Moreland to rifle Stringer's spot downtown.
- How'd he take it? - Like Stringer was kin.
- Yeah? - Bushy top.
- Need to pull on your coat, boy.
- Hey, what's up, Major? I got something for y'all.
Mount Vernon Square in about an hour.
I'm there.
This is Stringer's? Yeah.
Who the fuck was I chasing? What's done is done.
Gay-ass gangsters.
Please.
I tell you, I took it for as long as I could.
Let's go, man.
Let's go.
It being your town, I trust you to do it proper.
- You off today, boss? - Every day at this point.
I told them over at COMSTAT about my little experiment.
Bosses went crazy, huh? Anyway, that's why I called you.
That there is a wartime lay-up for your man Barksdale.
My sources tell me the man's there most of the time with a lot of muscle.
Sawed-offs, semi-autos, MAC-11s.
Whole lot of good shit if you hit it right.
- That's a hell of a tip.
- Shit.
That right there might be the last bit of police work in a long and storied career.
Glad I talked to you, bushy top.
Which one is Ali? In the white trunks, boy.
- Damn, he look young.
- He was.
This the Patterson fight.
- Old school.
- Who Patterson? He soft.
- Ali whipping his ass.
- He was a champ too.
Look, any man still standing at the end of a round, you can't call him soft.
That's a rule, all right? From Stringer's place downtown.
B&B shit, college papers, real estate stuff.
There's no phone extension in the place, just these cellphone chips.
About a hundred of them.
So that's why he wasn't taking any phones from Bernard, huh? Stringer just changed the number every time he changed the chip.
- Shamrock too, probably.
- Cautious man.
- Yes and no.
- Have a look in here.
All different manufacturers.
Thank you.
Before Stringer Bell got aced, he went out of his way to put in his good friend, Avon Barksdale.
That's a Barksdale safe house.
Where'd you get this? Colvin.
- Calls to the Western.
- Where's Daniels? He's got this thing downtown.
It's for his wife.
You should raise him.
It's not enough to make up for Stringer.
It'll do for now.
Because the neighborhoods and the residents are among the poorest in our city, and it is these residents who most need a strong voice at City Hall.
Time has come for a change.
And I believe I can bring about that change by providing a strong voice for the new 11th District, if you will do me the honor It's kind of cool, the lieutenant's wife running for office, you know? As you just heard, West Baltimore City Councilwoman Eunetta Perkins is going to have her hands full in next September's Democratic primary.
Stringer Bell.
Damn.
Who could've gotten to him? I mean, if it wasn't y'all on it.
You know Avon's gonna put it on you, right? Shit, let him take it on my jacket.
Don't make me no never mind.
I'm thinking it might be what you call one of them good problems.
- Yeah.
- Mm-hm.
I heard Colvin's in deep shit downtown.
Looking at this right here he might not be the only one.
Anything comes up, I'm on the radio.
My man.
Yo, you think I could get like $5? I need like $5 to get on the bus.
- I look like a tourist to you? - Man, I swear to God.
Looking like that in an open-air drug market, why the hell would I think you'll spend my $5 on bus fare? Shit, because I already got my blast, man.
All night, you been drinking like your ass is candy.
That's shameful shit.
Last time I saw that kind of load was the Pimlico double.
And I fucking know that motherfucker was in the middle of that mess.
And if I remember your boy, he had no love for the Barksdale people.
Execution style, that don't play like Omar Little.
Besides, the word on our wire is that Marlo's people did Stringer.
- Marlo Stanfield? - The heir apparent.
This city's going to hell, man.
We're gonna push past 300 murders before New Year's.
Shit is fucked.
Hey, Cheryl.
No? My guess is she's picking up a prisoner.
I spoke to her about ten minutes ago.
Yeah, well, they make you check your stuff.
Cellphone, money, weapon.
She'll call when she gets the message.
Not at all.
I need more, Jimmy.
More! - Motherfucker.
- I'm tired, Bunk.
Let's go.
I heard the vanguard met.
Heard they voted to have a civilian review board look at it.
It wasn't unanimous, and there were people there speaking for you.
I heard that too.
So, six out of ten black officers think I'm just an asshole racist.
On the other hand, four out of ten think you're just an asshole.
It's an administrative charge.
You can fight it and win if you want.
Failure to properly identify myself as a police officer.
Sounds like what I was guilty of most of my career, actually.
I'm not sure I was supposed to be a police.
Not really.
What were you supposed to be, huh? Hm? This is from Major Colvin's CI? What's the corroboration? The source knew that Barksdale had a waterfront condo in his own name.
Gave the accurate location and title info down to deed of transfer.
That's good, but it puts him on the legitimate side of things.
What corroboration is there for illegal activities? Sorry I'm late.
I had to stop in at a friend.
The source knew that Barksdale was shot last month, wounded in the shoulder.
- Emergency room? - No.
No hospital reports.
We're gonna need better.
Either Colvin goes back to the CI, or we sit on this address for a while.
Well, fuck it, then.
Let's name the source in the affidavit.
- It's Colvin's call, isn't it? - It's Stringer Bell.
Lester figured it out from the DNRs.
Bell was snitching out Barksdale.
- You're sure of this? - Maybe that explains the murder.
What's in the wire? Loose talk about how it was Marlo's people, but nothing past rumor.
With Bell gone, Barksdale might have to oversee the day-to-day, and maybe that puts him in contact with some of our monitored cellphones.
If he's as cautious as Stringer, maybe not.
My guess is Barksdale never touches a cellphone.
Safe house might be our best shot.
All right.
We stay on the wires until this batch of burners goes dead, hoping we have Barksdale.
But meanwhile, we get a warrant for that safe house and wait on him there.
Thanks for the cover last night.
This is Greggs, Major Case Unit.
Who's the shift leader? Get a wildcat right now! Brown! What's up? Anybody want to buy? Blue John! Get yo ass caught, boy! Holy Christ.
- They're all over it, Commissioner.
- Right.
That was Foxtrot.
The cameras have found our little shit pile.
Your fucking councilman took his sweet time.
Everyone's a critic.
If this doesn't go, what line of work are you gonna try next? We're here in West Baltimore For more than a month, police from Baltimore's Western district It's an outrageous development.
It's something I never thought I'd see from this administration.
We need a change in leadership in this city.
Did the mayor or the police commissioner know? Ask the mayor and the police commissioner.
On crime and safety, the Royce administration is simply bankrupt.
You gonna announce for mayor next month? Standing here today looking at this, I'm gonna put it out there right now.
For more than four weeks the Baltimore Police Department surrendered areas to the drug trade, and the council was not informed.
Fuck me.
I fucking had this story all to myself a week ago.
Police officers have turned a blind eye What the fuck was I thinking? .
.
apparently sanctioning open-air drug markets.
Excuse us.
.
.
in the so-called free zones, drug dealers routinely ply their trade.
Mr.
Mayor, Commissioner Burrell is here.
The mayor will be with him shortly.
.
.
and young children run the streets alone.
The inhabitants of what has come to be known as Hamsterdam had little to say for the camera.
But Channel 5 has learned that the police were - Yeah? - What are you seeing? Couple of people in and out.
No sign of Barksdale, though.
- It's quiet here too.
- OK.
Need to look at the back.
Our friend Carcetti's gonna run wild with this.
And from the sound of things, Gray is gonna run with him.
Tony Gray thinks he's gonna get my chair behind this bullshit.
Uh-uh.
We're throwing you out of the boat, Ervin.
This shit is on you alone.
Not necessarily.
Not if I talk about how we were under pressure to keep the crime down.
- To juke the stats district by district.
- We never said that.
About how Colvin, under pressure, lost his way.
About how I came to you weeks ago - Days ago.
- Weeks ago to tell you what he had done and to assure you that we were on top of the situation, that Colvin would be relieved and his plan aborted.
You lying motherfucker.
But you heard about the drop in Colvin's felony rate and you sent me packing.
Brought in your liberal-ass do-gooders to seriously consider this horseshit while Colvin's mistake grew and grew.
My hands were tied, Mr.
Mayor.
My department thwarted.
I was a prisoner of the goddamn politicians.
Or I leave your office right now willing to say a lot less than that.
I put what I can on crazy-ass Bunny Colvin.
And I take the hit.
And if Carcetti or Gray holds hearings, I'm the wall between them and you.
In which case, I am your commissioner for the full five-year term.
- Unit one to unit two.
- Unit two standing by.
Deal's made.
Unit two to sector three, move on the Winchester Homes.
Unit two to sector two, move on the Koppers Plant.
Roger that.
Over the top, gentlemen.
About fucking time.
Yo, man.
We gonna run out if we don't got no re-up.
- Where's Tuckie at? - I don't know.
- Yo, where Tuckie at, man? - He rolled out.
- Huh? - He said the police coming.
Here they come.
Let's roll.
Let's go! Hold it right there! Get the fuck off me! Stop right there! Stop right there! Stop! Freeze! Freeze! Don't move! Hold it right there.
Freeze.
Outstanding, red team, outstanding.
Give you a case of beer for that one.
Son, this nigger, Stringer Bell, man, was begging Chris, yo, for real.
Like, digging in his pockets, talking about how much cheese he gonna give us I mean, if we just let him walk.
My man, Chris, hollering, "Man, bitch, you gonna die.
" This nigger just dropped to his fucking knees like a little cocksucker, man.
Start crying.
That shit was worse than fucking pathetic.
- Yo, that's Marlo.
- Get on your burner, man.
- Got a line on him.
- The number one? Where at? Tall man says to tell y'all to soldier up.
They up at the rim shop.
Yeah, all right.
Boss, you OK? - What you want? - Slim said they got their eye on Marlo.
Mm? I'm just saying, you know, all the boys, they all waiting on you.
Go ahead, man.
I'm behind you.
What else you need from us, Deputy? City Hall wants the bulldozers through here at dawn and fencing all around the site.
Winchester Homes and the Koppers Plant as well.
We got it.
Come tomorrow, the television reporters get nothing they can stand in front of.
Excuse me, Deputy, sir, we found a body.
- Any trauma? - Can't tell for sure with all the rat bites.
Take him to the OCME in a jail wagon.
I don't want the fucking reporters seeing any ambos.
Shit.
He just landed.
Him plus one.
- Got it.
Sit tight.
- That makes how many? Including Barksdale, Sydnor counted ten in and none coming out, so that's ten at least.
- 2301 to KGA.
- Go ahead, 2301.
We need QRT to meet us at our 20 for a search and seizure.
Location has multiple suspects and may contain automatic weapons.
- Word travels fast, huh? - Shit.
Burrell called Johns Hopkins personally this morning.
Dragged your name into the gutter.
Johns Hopkins doesn't need the notoriety.
The chief academic officer of a major research university doesn't want to hear that some new hire makes up the rules as he goes along.
- Yeah, Colvin.
- Yeah, Major, you're on first.
Mm.
COMSTAT tomorrow.
I'm up.
- You all taking the door? - Where's tactical? - I called for QRT.
- You ain't heard? They're a little busy tonight tearing down Bunny Colvin's fuck-up.
With all that going on, you're lucky you even got us, man.
- Who we hitting on this? - Avon Barksdale and crew.
I fucking told you he was out.
Didn't I fucking tell you? I fucking told them.
For more than four weeks the Baltimore Police Department surrendered areas to the drug trade.
By tomorrow, the story goes national, and Washington reacts.
Save the best questions for Tony Gray.
He needs to shine even more than you.
- I can't believe he wants us to knock.
- You can't flush guns, can you? What about if they open up on us? These guys are at war with another crew.
We go charging in there, chances are we will get lit up.
Yo, B.
Sham saying that Charles saying they still up at the rim shop.
Marlo, his boy Chris and Vinson, they still eating.
But the rest of the muscle, they rolled out.
Police.
No.
Shh.
- Not the police.
- Narcos out back too.
Shit.
Let us in! We know you're in there.
Shit.
- Open the door, you fucking cocksuckers! - Fucked up, man.
Y'all ask me, y'all ugly-ass niggers shouldn't be in here with all these guns and shit, you know what I'm talking about? Open it.
Come on, Avon.
Enough with this shit.
Open the fucking door.
Open the fucking door, you cocksuckers! - Police! - Police! Police! Search warrant! - I'm clean, man.
- Get down! - Lace them shits tight.
- Greggs, I'm opening up.
That'd be mine.
In fact, all that's mine.
You got a law degree? A fuckin' hand grenade.
Take him.
You fall on the parole violation, no matter whatever else happens, you do every day of what's left of your seven without seeing a jury.
Maybe even conspiracy to murder.
We take this federal, see if we can't get you ten to life.
- No parole.
- Whatever.
Shit, you only do two days nohow - that's the day you go in And the day you come out.
Yeah, well, here's the warrant.
You read it slow.
In between them two days, give you something to think on.
Damn.
Missed our shot.
Roll, man.
You bend over for us, or I will spend what's left of my career shitting on every supervisor in your district.
From shift commanders down to sector sergeants, not one of them will have any rank at all if we hear anything out of you.
Look, my people saw this as a tactical deployment only! - The responsibility is mine alone! - Well, you won't fall alone, unless you're willing to fall exactly as we want you to.
After COMSTAT, you go to retirement services and drop papers, going out at a lieutenant's grade.
That's right, you're busted back.
We can't take your EOD away, but you're not going out on a major's pay.
I can retire with my 30 right now before you bust me! - I got vacation time enough to make my 30! - Fuck your vacation time.
You're out today at the lower grade.
That's against the goddamn contract! What part of "bend over" didn't you understand? - Avon locked up? - With most of his muscle, yeah.
Good day to get back out on them corners, ain't it? - Make some money.
- You bet.
It's not just the 17 million in federal funding for law enforcement that you've jeopardised.
Take off another 200 million of federal money in your operating budget, another 75 in capital expenditures, plus untold millions in pass-through federal dollars from Annapolis.
All told, we're talking about half a billion a year that Baltimore will be doing without.
Furthermore, the US attorney here will use all the resources of the Justice Department to interdict and destroy any attempt to establish a geographic entity where drugs are legal.
Washington should know that what happened in West Baltimore in no way reflects the policies of my administration.
That was an aberration, Mr.
Thomas, the work of one misguided police official.
We understand your concerns, but, you know for the Deputy Drug Czar to take the time out to drive 30 miles north to deliver that message, hardly necessary.
Rest assured.
What up, G? Where the older ones at? Marlo got his package back out.
Fire Burrell.
This nonsense began in his shop without him knowing it! - Fire the man and move on.
- Odell.
I respect your opinion, but right now, Tony Gray, Carcetti manoeuvring, now is not the time.
Mm-mm.
No.
We get past the primary, then I'll drive a stake in his heart.
But right now I need him where he is, if for no other reason than to well, to take the hit for this thing right here, but I tell you what I'm gonna do, though.
I'm gonna shine on that new girl you like in the 11th.
Yeah.
Give her a spot on the ticket.
Cut Eunetta loose.
Eunetta's had her day.
I respect the fact that you stood by me, Odell.
I respect loyalty.
And did so without properly informing his superior officers and without regard to the criminal statutes he was sworn to enforce, thereby disgracing himself and his command.
Is any of that subject to any contradiction or argument whatsoever, Major Colvin? - No, sir.
- No argument at all, Bunny? Not much you can say, is there? Not to real police.
- Get on with it, motherfucker.
- Excuse me, Major? Is the admin-lieutenant present? Major Colvin is relieved of duty.
You are now the acting commander of the Western District.
Damn, Bernard, didn't I tell you about these guys? - Hey, Bunk.
- Hey, Freamon.
- Who's that, Crutchfield? - No, Norris.
Sleeping on a stakeout.
Yeah, that's everyone we heard on the wire.
McNulty's in number one with Pearlman.
Why don't you say hey? You got to be the stupidest motherfucker that I've ever gone out with.
I can't wait to go to jail.
What? What'd you say? What the fuck did you say, Bernard? Hmm.
Hey, Donald.
- You heard the tapes.
- He said we could sell drugs if we move down to Vincent Street, and that's where I moved my crew.
You were the one that popped me with the G-pack on my way to the spot, and let me go, remember? You were selling drugs in Major Colvin's free zone? - You can prove that? - Ask him.
He know.
This must be one of them contrapment things.
- You mean entrapment? - Kid's got a point.
Ha! another eight wanted on warrants.
Any way you can tie your case to this mess with Colvin? Make it like what he was doing led to your thing? I don't see it.
Well, it's good work nonetheless, Major Daniels.
Call came in from the mayor's office half-hour ago approving your promotion.
And now with Colvin, there's a new vacancy.
- What about my wife? - What about her? The mayor.
Eunetta's seat.
- Why would the mayor - Good police work maybe.
Not everything is politics.
- Hey, I'll take two.
Western alumni.
- All right, you got it.
Major.
I heard.
How's your family take it? Yeah.
Lolita done dropped herself 30 pounds and got herself a real estate license, so I guess she's fixing to leave me.
I just wanted you to know that last tip you gave me was a winner.
Yeah, I heard.
That's good work.
Also, I don't know if you know, Stringer Bell was shot to death two days ago.
So, anyway, I put his name on the paper to tighten the PC.
I figured, what the fuck.
Once he's aced, right? You always did cut them corners, didn't you? Seems like you cut a few yourself, Major.
However it ends, you're good police.
Look, I just did what I did.
It felt right.
I'm fine with that.
Tony, where's my vest, man? - Thank you.
- Thanks.
I don't understand.
Drink your wine.
You and me in public.
- But your wife - She wins without me.
- On the mayor's ticket, she wins.
- And you make major? I think she was waiting for this day more than I ever was.
And now she's not here.
No.
She's not.
From out of nowhere, huh? Nowhere is right.
Why me? I guess you don't live right.
- Kari, what was that? - Nothing.
- What broke? - Nothing, Mama.
So Yeah.
- You just drive over here.
- I did.
Why tonight? What happened? I was in my old district tonight, which is where I used to feel pretty good, I think.
I wasn't so angry when I was there, anyway.
I don't know, someone said something, I guess, and That doesn't make sense.
Er - I guess I finished something today.
- A case? More than that.
It's like everything I poured into a glass came out the bottom.
And I just kept on pouring, like the thing had a hole in it, you know? The things that make me right for this job, maybe they're the same things that make me wrong for everything else.
Do you want to come inside for a drink? Not tonight.
But if it's not too late, I wouldn't mind meeting your kids.
Major Colvin misled his officers.
They thought that his initiative was a tactical deployment to entrap narcotics traffickers.
There was no mention whatsoever of the initiative to any superior officer.
And for five weeks, all evidence of what he was doing managed to elude the entire command staff? - Are you kidding, Commissioner? - I take full responsibility.
And indeed, after I first learned of the matter, I informed the mayor, and together we moved immediately to relieve Major Colvin of his command.
I'm under the impression that this administration gave serious consideration - to proceeding with Colvin's initiative.
- No, sir.
Major Colvin informed you of his effort at COMSTAT more than a week ago.
His free zones stayed up for six days after that.
That's, er, my responsibility, Councilman.
We needed to conclude an investigation by the Major Crimes Unit, a wiretap case that would have been disrupted had we moved immediately.
Correct, Mayor Royce was aware of the pending case and allowed us to delay our response accordingly.
But the mayor was unequivocal in his opposition to what Major Colvin did.
What we have here is nothing more complicated than a solitary police commander who, under great pressure, proved to be amoral, incompetent and unfit for command.
No.
It's about more than that.
This is more important than who knew what when, or who falls on his sword or whether someone can use this disaster to make a political point or two.
- Mr.
Chairman - We can forgive Major Colvin, who, out of his frustration and despair, found himself condoning something which can't possibly be condoned.
We can do that much.
But, gentlemen, what we can't forgive, what I can't forgiveever is how we - you, me, this administration, all of us - how we turned away from those streets in West Baltimore, the poor, the sick, the swollen underclass of our city trapped in the wreckage of neighborhoods which were once so prized, communities which we've failed to defend, which we have surrendered to the horrors of the drug trade, and if this disaster demands anything of us as a city, it demands that we say "Enough.
" Enough to the despair which makes policemen think about surrender.
Enough to the fact that these neighborhoods are beyond saving.
Enough to this administration's indecisiveness and lethargy, to the garbage which goes uncollected, the lots and row houses which stay vacant, the addicts who go untreated, the working men and women who every day are denied a chance at economic freedom.
Enough to the crime which every day chokes more life from our city.
And the thing of it is, if we don't take responsibility and step up, not just for the mistakes and the miscues, but for whether or not we're gonna win this battle for our streets, we're gonna lose these neighborhoods and ultimately this city forever.
If we don't have the courage and the conviction to fight this war the way it should and needs to be fought, using every weapon that we can possibly muster, if that doesn't happen, well, then we're staring at defeat.
And that defeat should not and cannot and will not be forgiven.
It was a good case, I'm not denying that.
But I need to trust my people.
Unless you can give your word, there's no way that I can That's more than fair.
Thanks.
But it's better for me if I do something else.
Detective.
It's not you, it's me.
- But where - The Western, I think.
Yeah, the Western feels like home.
- You showed something today.
- Just felt like it needed to be said.
Sounds like you're running for something.
Eunetta.
Been a while.
Thought y'all was in training.
So what time you want us to be there tomorrow, Coach? - Hope to see y'all then.
- All right.
What the fuck y'all standing around for? Man, get to work.
.
.
to the false promise that our schools are providing a future for our children.
This administration and its top-heavy schools system Oh, you've been on a fast train And it's going off the rails And you can't come back Can't come back again And you start breaking down In the pouring rain Oh, you've been on a fast train On a fast train When your lover has gone away That's it.
That's it.
Don't it make you feel sad? - Yeah.
- And you've gone on a journey Way into the land All right.
One-two.
Then you start breaking down, cos you're under strain And you're jumping on Yes, you're jumping on a fast train Jumping on a fast train Got to go on the lam Stuck in no-man's land Ain't nobody here on your waveband Ain't nobody gonna lend you a helping hand And you start breaking down Then you go to the sound But you hear that fast train Ooh, fast train And you keep on moving Unto the sound of the wheels Oh, deep down in your heart Do you really know how you feel? Then you start breaking down Go into the pain Keep on moving on a fast train Moving on a fast train Way, way over the line Next thing you're out of your mind And you're out of your depth As through the window she crept Oh, there's nowhere to go, in the sleet and snow Just keep on moving Ooh-oh On a fast train Moving on a fast train You've got to go on the lam Stuck in no-man's land Ain't nobody on your waveband Gonna lend you a helping hand And you're all alone Can you really make it on your own? Keep on moving on a fast train Before you're going nowhere fast Somebody lend a helping hand, I can't understand Going through this crazy land I'm a crazy man, Lord help me on a fast train In the cases of Malik Carr, aka Poot, Herbert DeRodd Johnson, aka Puddin', Arthur Carroll What do you see right here? It's bulk metal, ten cent a pound.
Here.
- Aluminum.
- Right you are.
You see, in these modern times, a man got to keep one eye on the ground, pick up what he find, feel me? There's money to be made if you know where to look.
I hope you listening cos I'm trying to school you.
- Uh? - Uh-huh.
Yeah, you don't want to know.
You think you're brown, but you still green.
How you doing? That's something, huh? Like they just took a big eraser and rubbed across it.
Yeah.
Yeah, but before, a dope fiend come down here, cop a little something, ain't nary a soul hassle him.
Hoppers and police, they just let him be.
Mm-hm.
Was a good thing, huh? I'm just saying.
You probably don't know, but it's rough out there, baby.
Cops be back banging on you, hoppers be messing with you.
Yeah, thank you.
Oh, shit.
There's a dollar here.
That's a seed.
Come on, boy.
Norris is on his way to the morgue.
He'll beat the bodies there.
- How about the crime lab? - Can he get enough oxygen? He's getting the full treatment, boss.
We're good there.
Just one witness so far.
And you know what that means.
Right now, it's all BNBG.
It's Andy Kraw's big adventure.
Mayor's office already called twice, worried sick about the man.
You're kidding me.
That's a whole lot of campaign contributions sitting on the back of that ambo.
- So, what's the scene say? - Two shooters.
Shotgun, semi-auto.
One vic is a West Side soldier with a pretty healthy sheet.
The other is a major player in Daniels' wiretap case.
So, a hit.
Drug related.
But a big-time developer in the middle? What's the fit? Second vic, Russell Bell.
Owner and co-developer of this here.
And other downtown real estate.
Well-propertied man he was.
But you were aware that Russell Bell was regarded as a major narcotic violator? How do you think he made his money? I didn't inquire.
So, you never got a look at either of the gunmen? I told you, I saw only the one of them.
He was black.
Big, I thought.
With a large weapon.
BNBG.
Big negro, big gun.
Two more like it upstairs.
Yeah? Have ballistics rush comparisons.
Drug-relateds for the last six months.
I caught him, Bunk.
On the wire.
I caught him.
And he doesn't fucking know it.
When you walk through the garden You gotta watch your back Well, I beg your pardon Walk the straight and narrow track Walk the straight and narrow track If you walk with Jesus He's gonna save your soul You gotta keep the devil Way down in the hole He got fire and the fury Fire and fury At his command Well, you don't have to worry Hold on to Jesus' hands Oh, we'll be safe from Satan When the thunder rolls Oh You gotta keep the devil Way down in the hole You gotta keep the devil Way down in the hole Way down Way down in the hole Boxing, yeah.
I know you loved that.
I hated it.
I hated watching it.
Yeah, I know you did.
So you're doing good, huh? - Day to day, I am.
- Because I was thinking, maybe I'm proud of you, Dennis.
Be well.
Shut that fucking door.
Man, fuck it.
I'm ready for this shit.
These niggers is snapping on us.
You see? Do you believe this fucking shit? Some shit like this would've never happened with Yo, Slim, man.
Just say the word.
Say the motherfucking word.
Shit is on.
What's up, B? You all right? We gonna bounce back on the motherfucker no question.
- Bounce back on who? - Marlo, boss.
- Oh, he gonna fall.
- Marlo ain't got shit to do with it.
Marlo couldn't get String like that.
String died cos of some other shit.
- What? - He died because of some other shit, nigger.
I couldn't fix it.
I tried.
That nigger, String, was right about this shit, man.
That nigger was right.
Fuck Marlo.
Fuck this fucking war.
All this beef over a couple of fucking corners.
Don't matter who did what to who at this point.
Fact is, we went to war, and now there ain't no going back.
I mean, shit, it's what war is, you know? Once you in it, you in it.
If it's a lie, then we fight on that lie.
But we gotta fight.
Got this out of his pocket.
I got no idea.
- It's a cell chip from a phone.
- Ah.
- What else did you get off him? - 200 cash, set of keys, license.
President Street address? I got Landsman banging out a warrant for the place.
Fuck the politics for a minute.
- What if the man happens to be right? - Legalising drugs? Crime is down in his district and the people there are OK with it.
Look, if you don't exist, what happens here? If there's no Tommy Carcetti, what's likely to happen? The mayor and Burrell shut this thing down.
I figure the mayor's trying to find a way to shut it down to make it look like it was an enforcement plan.
Otherwise he'd have moved to end it already.
Makes sense, but no matter what, Colvin's little experiment is finished.
Come on, Tommy.
They dealt you a winning hand and you're acting like you forgot how to play.
Mr.
Mayor, call it legalisation and my office can't live with it.
- Agreed.
No one can.
- But harm reduction? That could sell, provided there's a reduction in the crime rate.
Harm reduction.
Sounds good.
Steven, what if we were able to suggest limiting our street-level enforcement? We were concentrating our resources on high-level traffickers.
How would that play? If I could show off that kind of casework, maybe.
But they've been doing street rips for so long, I don't think a high level exists.
What if we said no major traffickers were allowed in the free zone, that all major That the major violators were still being targeted? Are you suggesting some kind of admissions criteria for the zones? - How would that work? - I don't know that it would.
I'm just saying that for the sake of public perception.
Come on, people, work with me on this thing! Fucked up, man.
Marlo need to get his ass dropped, him and all his crew.
- They gonna fall, son.
You'll see.
- All right, let me know.
That's the word on the wire, anyway.
Every mention puts it on Marlo Stanfield's crew, which means the war's gonna ratchet up, no question.
- Where's Jimmy? - He went with Bunk Moreland to rifle Stringer's spot downtown.
- How'd he take it? - Like Stringer was kin.
- Yeah? - Bushy top.
- Need to pull on your coat, boy.
- Hey, what's up, Major? I got something for y'all.
Mount Vernon Square in about an hour.
I'm there.
This is Stringer's? Yeah.
Who the fuck was I chasing? What's done is done.
Gay-ass gangsters.
Please.
I tell you, I took it for as long as I could.
Let's go, man.
Let's go.
It being your town, I trust you to do it proper.
- You off today, boss? - Every day at this point.
I told them over at COMSTAT about my little experiment.
Bosses went crazy, huh? Anyway, that's why I called you.
That there is a wartime lay-up for your man Barksdale.
My sources tell me the man's there most of the time with a lot of muscle.
Sawed-offs, semi-autos, MAC-11s.
Whole lot of good shit if you hit it right.
- That's a hell of a tip.
- Shit.
That right there might be the last bit of police work in a long and storied career.
Glad I talked to you, bushy top.
Which one is Ali? In the white trunks, boy.
- Damn, he look young.
- He was.
This the Patterson fight.
- Old school.
- Who Patterson? He soft.
- Ali whipping his ass.
- He was a champ too.
Look, any man still standing at the end of a round, you can't call him soft.
That's a rule, all right? From Stringer's place downtown.
B&B shit, college papers, real estate stuff.
There's no phone extension in the place, just these cellphone chips.
About a hundred of them.
So that's why he wasn't taking any phones from Bernard, huh? Stringer just changed the number every time he changed the chip.
- Shamrock too, probably.
- Cautious man.
- Yes and no.
- Have a look in here.
All different manufacturers.
Thank you.
Before Stringer Bell got aced, he went out of his way to put in his good friend, Avon Barksdale.
That's a Barksdale safe house.
Where'd you get this? Colvin.
- Calls to the Western.
- Where's Daniels? He's got this thing downtown.
It's for his wife.
You should raise him.
It's not enough to make up for Stringer.
It'll do for now.
Because the neighborhoods and the residents are among the poorest in our city, and it is these residents who most need a strong voice at City Hall.
Time has come for a change.
And I believe I can bring about that change by providing a strong voice for the new 11th District, if you will do me the honor It's kind of cool, the lieutenant's wife running for office, you know? As you just heard, West Baltimore City Councilwoman Eunetta Perkins is going to have her hands full in next September's Democratic primary.
Stringer Bell.
Damn.
Who could've gotten to him? I mean, if it wasn't y'all on it.
You know Avon's gonna put it on you, right? Shit, let him take it on my jacket.
Don't make me no never mind.
I'm thinking it might be what you call one of them good problems.
- Yeah.
- Mm-hm.
I heard Colvin's in deep shit downtown.
Looking at this right here he might not be the only one.
Anything comes up, I'm on the radio.
My man.
Yo, you think I could get like $5? I need like $5 to get on the bus.
- I look like a tourist to you? - Man, I swear to God.
Looking like that in an open-air drug market, why the hell would I think you'll spend my $5 on bus fare? Shit, because I already got my blast, man.
All night, you been drinking like your ass is candy.
That's shameful shit.
Last time I saw that kind of load was the Pimlico double.
And I fucking know that motherfucker was in the middle of that mess.
And if I remember your boy, he had no love for the Barksdale people.
Execution style, that don't play like Omar Little.
Besides, the word on our wire is that Marlo's people did Stringer.
- Marlo Stanfield? - The heir apparent.
This city's going to hell, man.
We're gonna push past 300 murders before New Year's.
Shit is fucked.
Hey, Cheryl.
No? My guess is she's picking up a prisoner.
I spoke to her about ten minutes ago.
Yeah, well, they make you check your stuff.
Cellphone, money, weapon.
She'll call when she gets the message.
Not at all.
I need more, Jimmy.
More! - Motherfucker.
- I'm tired, Bunk.
Let's go.
I heard the vanguard met.
Heard they voted to have a civilian review board look at it.
It wasn't unanimous, and there were people there speaking for you.
I heard that too.
So, six out of ten black officers think I'm just an asshole racist.
On the other hand, four out of ten think you're just an asshole.
It's an administrative charge.
You can fight it and win if you want.
Failure to properly identify myself as a police officer.
Sounds like what I was guilty of most of my career, actually.
I'm not sure I was supposed to be a police.
Not really.
What were you supposed to be, huh? Hm? This is from Major Colvin's CI? What's the corroboration? The source knew that Barksdale had a waterfront condo in his own name.
Gave the accurate location and title info down to deed of transfer.
That's good, but it puts him on the legitimate side of things.
What corroboration is there for illegal activities? Sorry I'm late.
I had to stop in at a friend.
The source knew that Barksdale was shot last month, wounded in the shoulder.
- Emergency room? - No.
No hospital reports.
We're gonna need better.
Either Colvin goes back to the CI, or we sit on this address for a while.
Well, fuck it, then.
Let's name the source in the affidavit.
- It's Colvin's call, isn't it? - It's Stringer Bell.
Lester figured it out from the DNRs.
Bell was snitching out Barksdale.
- You're sure of this? - Maybe that explains the murder.
What's in the wire? Loose talk about how it was Marlo's people, but nothing past rumor.
With Bell gone, Barksdale might have to oversee the day-to-day, and maybe that puts him in contact with some of our monitored cellphones.
If he's as cautious as Stringer, maybe not.
My guess is Barksdale never touches a cellphone.
Safe house might be our best shot.
All right.
We stay on the wires until this batch of burners goes dead, hoping we have Barksdale.
But meanwhile, we get a warrant for that safe house and wait on him there.
Thanks for the cover last night.
This is Greggs, Major Case Unit.
Who's the shift leader? Get a wildcat right now! Brown! What's up? Anybody want to buy? Blue John! Get yo ass caught, boy! Holy Christ.
- They're all over it, Commissioner.
- Right.
That was Foxtrot.
The cameras have found our little shit pile.
Your fucking councilman took his sweet time.
Everyone's a critic.
If this doesn't go, what line of work are you gonna try next? We're here in West Baltimore For more than a month, police from Baltimore's Western district It's an outrageous development.
It's something I never thought I'd see from this administration.
We need a change in leadership in this city.
Did the mayor or the police commissioner know? Ask the mayor and the police commissioner.
On crime and safety, the Royce administration is simply bankrupt.
You gonna announce for mayor next month? Standing here today looking at this, I'm gonna put it out there right now.
For more than four weeks the Baltimore Police Department surrendered areas to the drug trade, and the council was not informed.
Fuck me.
I fucking had this story all to myself a week ago.
Police officers have turned a blind eye What the fuck was I thinking? .
.
apparently sanctioning open-air drug markets.
Excuse us.
.
.
in the so-called free zones, drug dealers routinely ply their trade.
Mr.
Mayor, Commissioner Burrell is here.
The mayor will be with him shortly.
.
.
and young children run the streets alone.
The inhabitants of what has come to be known as Hamsterdam had little to say for the camera.
But Channel 5 has learned that the police were - Yeah? - What are you seeing? Couple of people in and out.
No sign of Barksdale, though.
- It's quiet here too.
- OK.
Need to look at the back.
Our friend Carcetti's gonna run wild with this.
And from the sound of things, Gray is gonna run with him.
Tony Gray thinks he's gonna get my chair behind this bullshit.
Uh-uh.
We're throwing you out of the boat, Ervin.
This shit is on you alone.
Not necessarily.
Not if I talk about how we were under pressure to keep the crime down.
- To juke the stats district by district.
- We never said that.
About how Colvin, under pressure, lost his way.
About how I came to you weeks ago - Days ago.
- Weeks ago to tell you what he had done and to assure you that we were on top of the situation, that Colvin would be relieved and his plan aborted.
You lying motherfucker.
But you heard about the drop in Colvin's felony rate and you sent me packing.
Brought in your liberal-ass do-gooders to seriously consider this horseshit while Colvin's mistake grew and grew.
My hands were tied, Mr.
Mayor.
My department thwarted.
I was a prisoner of the goddamn politicians.
Or I leave your office right now willing to say a lot less than that.
I put what I can on crazy-ass Bunny Colvin.
And I take the hit.
And if Carcetti or Gray holds hearings, I'm the wall between them and you.
In which case, I am your commissioner for the full five-year term.
- Unit one to unit two.
- Unit two standing by.
Deal's made.
Unit two to sector three, move on the Winchester Homes.
Unit two to sector two, move on the Koppers Plant.
Roger that.
Over the top, gentlemen.
About fucking time.
Yo, man.
We gonna run out if we don't got no re-up.
- Where's Tuckie at? - I don't know.
- Yo, where Tuckie at, man? - He rolled out.
- Huh? - He said the police coming.
Here they come.
Let's roll.
Let's go! Hold it right there! Get the fuck off me! Stop right there! Stop right there! Stop! Freeze! Freeze! Don't move! Hold it right there.
Freeze.
Outstanding, red team, outstanding.
Give you a case of beer for that one.
Son, this nigger, Stringer Bell, man, was begging Chris, yo, for real.
Like, digging in his pockets, talking about how much cheese he gonna give us I mean, if we just let him walk.
My man, Chris, hollering, "Man, bitch, you gonna die.
" This nigger just dropped to his fucking knees like a little cocksucker, man.
Start crying.
That shit was worse than fucking pathetic.
- Yo, that's Marlo.
- Get on your burner, man.
- Got a line on him.
- The number one? Where at? Tall man says to tell y'all to soldier up.
They up at the rim shop.
Yeah, all right.
Boss, you OK? - What you want? - Slim said they got their eye on Marlo.
Mm? I'm just saying, you know, all the boys, they all waiting on you.
Go ahead, man.
I'm behind you.
What else you need from us, Deputy? City Hall wants the bulldozers through here at dawn and fencing all around the site.
Winchester Homes and the Koppers Plant as well.
We got it.
Come tomorrow, the television reporters get nothing they can stand in front of.
Excuse me, Deputy, sir, we found a body.
- Any trauma? - Can't tell for sure with all the rat bites.
Take him to the OCME in a jail wagon.
I don't want the fucking reporters seeing any ambos.
Shit.
He just landed.
Him plus one.
- Got it.
Sit tight.
- That makes how many? Including Barksdale, Sydnor counted ten in and none coming out, so that's ten at least.
- 2301 to KGA.
- Go ahead, 2301.
We need QRT to meet us at our 20 for a search and seizure.
Location has multiple suspects and may contain automatic weapons.
- Word travels fast, huh? - Shit.
Burrell called Johns Hopkins personally this morning.
Dragged your name into the gutter.
Johns Hopkins doesn't need the notoriety.
The chief academic officer of a major research university doesn't want to hear that some new hire makes up the rules as he goes along.
- Yeah, Colvin.
- Yeah, Major, you're on first.
Mm.
COMSTAT tomorrow.
I'm up.
- You all taking the door? - Where's tactical? - I called for QRT.
- You ain't heard? They're a little busy tonight tearing down Bunny Colvin's fuck-up.
With all that going on, you're lucky you even got us, man.
- Who we hitting on this? - Avon Barksdale and crew.
I fucking told you he was out.
Didn't I fucking tell you? I fucking told them.
For more than four weeks the Baltimore Police Department surrendered areas to the drug trade.
By tomorrow, the story goes national, and Washington reacts.
Save the best questions for Tony Gray.
He needs to shine even more than you.
- I can't believe he wants us to knock.
- You can't flush guns, can you? What about if they open up on us? These guys are at war with another crew.
We go charging in there, chances are we will get lit up.
Yo, B.
Sham saying that Charles saying they still up at the rim shop.
Marlo, his boy Chris and Vinson, they still eating.
But the rest of the muscle, they rolled out.
Police.
No.
Shh.
- Not the police.
- Narcos out back too.
Shit.
Let us in! We know you're in there.
Shit.
- Open the door, you fucking cocksuckers! - Fucked up, man.
Y'all ask me, y'all ugly-ass niggers shouldn't be in here with all these guns and shit, you know what I'm talking about? Open it.
Come on, Avon.
Enough with this shit.
Open the fucking door.
Open the fucking door, you cocksuckers! - Police! - Police! Police! Search warrant! - I'm clean, man.
- Get down! - Lace them shits tight.
- Greggs, I'm opening up.
That'd be mine.
In fact, all that's mine.
You got a law degree? A fuckin' hand grenade.
Take him.
You fall on the parole violation, no matter whatever else happens, you do every day of what's left of your seven without seeing a jury.
Maybe even conspiracy to murder.
We take this federal, see if we can't get you ten to life.
- No parole.
- Whatever.
Shit, you only do two days nohow - that's the day you go in And the day you come out.
Yeah, well, here's the warrant.
You read it slow.
In between them two days, give you something to think on.
Damn.
Missed our shot.
Roll, man.
You bend over for us, or I will spend what's left of my career shitting on every supervisor in your district.
From shift commanders down to sector sergeants, not one of them will have any rank at all if we hear anything out of you.
Look, my people saw this as a tactical deployment only! - The responsibility is mine alone! - Well, you won't fall alone, unless you're willing to fall exactly as we want you to.
After COMSTAT, you go to retirement services and drop papers, going out at a lieutenant's grade.
That's right, you're busted back.
We can't take your EOD away, but you're not going out on a major's pay.
I can retire with my 30 right now before you bust me! - I got vacation time enough to make my 30! - Fuck your vacation time.
You're out today at the lower grade.
That's against the goddamn contract! What part of "bend over" didn't you understand? - Avon locked up? - With most of his muscle, yeah.
Good day to get back out on them corners, ain't it? - Make some money.
- You bet.
It's not just the 17 million in federal funding for law enforcement that you've jeopardised.
Take off another 200 million of federal money in your operating budget, another 75 in capital expenditures, plus untold millions in pass-through federal dollars from Annapolis.
All told, we're talking about half a billion a year that Baltimore will be doing without.
Furthermore, the US attorney here will use all the resources of the Justice Department to interdict and destroy any attempt to establish a geographic entity where drugs are legal.
Washington should know that what happened in West Baltimore in no way reflects the policies of my administration.
That was an aberration, Mr.
Thomas, the work of one misguided police official.
We understand your concerns, but, you know for the Deputy Drug Czar to take the time out to drive 30 miles north to deliver that message, hardly necessary.
Rest assured.
What up, G? Where the older ones at? Marlo got his package back out.
Fire Burrell.
This nonsense began in his shop without him knowing it! - Fire the man and move on.
- Odell.
I respect your opinion, but right now, Tony Gray, Carcetti manoeuvring, now is not the time.
Mm-mm.
No.
We get past the primary, then I'll drive a stake in his heart.
But right now I need him where he is, if for no other reason than to well, to take the hit for this thing right here, but I tell you what I'm gonna do, though.
I'm gonna shine on that new girl you like in the 11th.
Yeah.
Give her a spot on the ticket.
Cut Eunetta loose.
Eunetta's had her day.
I respect the fact that you stood by me, Odell.
I respect loyalty.
And did so without properly informing his superior officers and without regard to the criminal statutes he was sworn to enforce, thereby disgracing himself and his command.
Is any of that subject to any contradiction or argument whatsoever, Major Colvin? - No, sir.
- No argument at all, Bunny? Not much you can say, is there? Not to real police.
- Get on with it, motherfucker.
- Excuse me, Major? Is the admin-lieutenant present? Major Colvin is relieved of duty.
You are now the acting commander of the Western District.
Damn, Bernard, didn't I tell you about these guys? - Hey, Bunk.
- Hey, Freamon.
- Who's that, Crutchfield? - No, Norris.
Sleeping on a stakeout.
Yeah, that's everyone we heard on the wire.
McNulty's in number one with Pearlman.
Why don't you say hey? You got to be the stupidest motherfucker that I've ever gone out with.
I can't wait to go to jail.
What? What'd you say? What the fuck did you say, Bernard? Hmm.
Hey, Donald.
- You heard the tapes.
- He said we could sell drugs if we move down to Vincent Street, and that's where I moved my crew.
You were the one that popped me with the G-pack on my way to the spot, and let me go, remember? You were selling drugs in Major Colvin's free zone? - You can prove that? - Ask him.
He know.
This must be one of them contrapment things.
- You mean entrapment? - Kid's got a point.
Ha! another eight wanted on warrants.
Any way you can tie your case to this mess with Colvin? Make it like what he was doing led to your thing? I don't see it.
Well, it's good work nonetheless, Major Daniels.
Call came in from the mayor's office half-hour ago approving your promotion.
And now with Colvin, there's a new vacancy.
- What about my wife? - What about her? The mayor.
Eunetta's seat.
- Why would the mayor - Good police work maybe.
Not everything is politics.
- Hey, I'll take two.
Western alumni.
- All right, you got it.
Major.
I heard.
How's your family take it? Yeah.
Lolita done dropped herself 30 pounds and got herself a real estate license, so I guess she's fixing to leave me.
I just wanted you to know that last tip you gave me was a winner.
Yeah, I heard.
That's good work.
Also, I don't know if you know, Stringer Bell was shot to death two days ago.
So, anyway, I put his name on the paper to tighten the PC.
I figured, what the fuck.
Once he's aced, right? You always did cut them corners, didn't you? Seems like you cut a few yourself, Major.
However it ends, you're good police.
Look, I just did what I did.
It felt right.
I'm fine with that.
Tony, where's my vest, man? - Thank you.
- Thanks.
I don't understand.
Drink your wine.
You and me in public.
- But your wife - She wins without me.
- On the mayor's ticket, she wins.
- And you make major? I think she was waiting for this day more than I ever was.
And now she's not here.
No.
She's not.
From out of nowhere, huh? Nowhere is right.
Why me? I guess you don't live right.
- Kari, what was that? - Nothing.
- What broke? - Nothing, Mama.
So Yeah.
- You just drive over here.
- I did.
Why tonight? What happened? I was in my old district tonight, which is where I used to feel pretty good, I think.
I wasn't so angry when I was there, anyway.
I don't know, someone said something, I guess, and That doesn't make sense.
Er - I guess I finished something today.
- A case? More than that.
It's like everything I poured into a glass came out the bottom.
And I just kept on pouring, like the thing had a hole in it, you know? The things that make me right for this job, maybe they're the same things that make me wrong for everything else.
Do you want to come inside for a drink? Not tonight.
But if it's not too late, I wouldn't mind meeting your kids.
Major Colvin misled his officers.
They thought that his initiative was a tactical deployment to entrap narcotics traffickers.
There was no mention whatsoever of the initiative to any superior officer.
And for five weeks, all evidence of what he was doing managed to elude the entire command staff? - Are you kidding, Commissioner? - I take full responsibility.
And indeed, after I first learned of the matter, I informed the mayor, and together we moved immediately to relieve Major Colvin of his command.
I'm under the impression that this administration gave serious consideration - to proceeding with Colvin's initiative.
- No, sir.
Major Colvin informed you of his effort at COMSTAT more than a week ago.
His free zones stayed up for six days after that.
That's, er, my responsibility, Councilman.
We needed to conclude an investigation by the Major Crimes Unit, a wiretap case that would have been disrupted had we moved immediately.
Correct, Mayor Royce was aware of the pending case and allowed us to delay our response accordingly.
But the mayor was unequivocal in his opposition to what Major Colvin did.
What we have here is nothing more complicated than a solitary police commander who, under great pressure, proved to be amoral, incompetent and unfit for command.
No.
It's about more than that.
This is more important than who knew what when, or who falls on his sword or whether someone can use this disaster to make a political point or two.
- Mr.
Chairman - We can forgive Major Colvin, who, out of his frustration and despair, found himself condoning something which can't possibly be condoned.
We can do that much.
But, gentlemen, what we can't forgive, what I can't forgiveever is how we - you, me, this administration, all of us - how we turned away from those streets in West Baltimore, the poor, the sick, the swollen underclass of our city trapped in the wreckage of neighborhoods which were once so prized, communities which we've failed to defend, which we have surrendered to the horrors of the drug trade, and if this disaster demands anything of us as a city, it demands that we say "Enough.
" Enough to the despair which makes policemen think about surrender.
Enough to the fact that these neighborhoods are beyond saving.
Enough to this administration's indecisiveness and lethargy, to the garbage which goes uncollected, the lots and row houses which stay vacant, the addicts who go untreated, the working men and women who every day are denied a chance at economic freedom.
Enough to the crime which every day chokes more life from our city.
And the thing of it is, if we don't take responsibility and step up, not just for the mistakes and the miscues, but for whether or not we're gonna win this battle for our streets, we're gonna lose these neighborhoods and ultimately this city forever.
If we don't have the courage and the conviction to fight this war the way it should and needs to be fought, using every weapon that we can possibly muster, if that doesn't happen, well, then we're staring at defeat.
And that defeat should not and cannot and will not be forgiven.
It was a good case, I'm not denying that.
But I need to trust my people.
Unless you can give your word, there's no way that I can That's more than fair.
Thanks.
But it's better for me if I do something else.
Detective.
It's not you, it's me.
- But where - The Western, I think.
Yeah, the Western feels like home.
- You showed something today.
- Just felt like it needed to be said.
Sounds like you're running for something.
Eunetta.
Been a while.
Thought y'all was in training.
So what time you want us to be there tomorrow, Coach? - Hope to see y'all then.
- All right.
What the fuck y'all standing around for? Man, get to work.
.
.
to the false promise that our schools are providing a future for our children.
This administration and its top-heavy schools system Oh, you've been on a fast train And it's going off the rails And you can't come back Can't come back again And you start breaking down In the pouring rain Oh, you've been on a fast train On a fast train When your lover has gone away That's it.
That's it.
Don't it make you feel sad? - Yeah.
- And you've gone on a journey Way into the land All right.
One-two.
Then you start breaking down, cos you're under strain And you're jumping on Yes, you're jumping on a fast train Jumping on a fast train Got to go on the lam Stuck in no-man's land Ain't nobody here on your waveband Ain't nobody gonna lend you a helping hand And you start breaking down Then you go to the sound But you hear that fast train Ooh, fast train And you keep on moving Unto the sound of the wheels Oh, deep down in your heart Do you really know how you feel? Then you start breaking down Go into the pain Keep on moving on a fast train Moving on a fast train Way, way over the line Next thing you're out of your mind And you're out of your depth As through the window she crept Oh, there's nowhere to go, in the sleet and snow Just keep on moving Ooh-oh On a fast train Moving on a fast train You've got to go on the lam Stuck in no-man's land Ain't nobody on your waveband Gonna lend you a helping hand And you're all alone Can you really make it on your own? Keep on moving on a fast train Before you're going nowhere fast Somebody lend a helping hand, I can't understand Going through this crazy land I'm a crazy man, Lord help me on a fast train In the cases of Malik Carr, aka Poot, Herbert DeRodd Johnson, aka Puddin', Arthur Carroll What do you see right here? It's bulk metal, ten cent a pound.
Here.
- Aluminum.
- Right you are.
You see, in these modern times, a man got to keep one eye on the ground, pick up what he find, feel me? There's money to be made if you know where to look.
I hope you listening cos I'm trying to school you.
- Uh? - Uh-huh.
Yeah, you don't want to know.
You think you're brown, but you still green.
How you doing? That's something, huh? Like they just took a big eraser and rubbed across it.
Yeah.
Yeah, but before, a dope fiend come down here, cop a little something, ain't nary a soul hassle him.
Hoppers and police, they just let him be.
Mm-hm.
Was a good thing, huh? I'm just saying.
You probably don't know, but it's rough out there, baby.
Cops be back banging on you, hoppers be messing with you.
Yeah, thank you.
Oh, shit.
There's a dollar here.
That's a seed.
Come on, boy.