Law & Order (1990) s24e08 Episode Script
Bad Apple
1
In the criminal justice system,
the people are represented
by two separate, yet
equally important groups:
the police, who
investigate crime,
and the district attorneys,
who prosecute the offenders.
These are their stories.
[dramatic music]
♪
♪
[speaks indistinctly]
Go. Move.
Hey, Jordy, we got
this, all right?
Stay aware. Stay alive.
[exhales]
[indistinct shouting]
- NYPD! Hands up!
- Show me your hands!
- Watch out!
- They got weapons.
[rapid gunfire]
Show me your hands!
- Jordy, I got these guys.
- Go clear that back room.
I'm on it.
NYPD!
Stop. [grunts]
Freeze!
♪
[door opens]
♪
No way out.
♪
Give it up. Show yourself.
[both grunting]
[groans, grunts]
No! No!
[door bangs]
Hey! Drop it!
Stop!
Grant! Grant, help!
Over here.
Help me up. Come on.
Jordy, give me your arm, buddy.
Give me your arm. Come on.
Come on, Jord.
♪
Hey, you good?
[panting]
I thought I told
you to stay alive.
[laughs]
[sirens whoop]
Cause of death appears to be
a single gunshot to the back.
Based on body temp, I'd
say he's only been dead
five or six hours.
So somebody killed
him around midnight.
- Mm-hmm.
- It's not the smartest time
to be walking through the park.
Cell phone.
He's got his wallet, too.
So, not a robbery?
[car horn honking]
Oh, Christ.
Vic's a cop.
Sergeant Jordan Harrison,
Major Case Narcotics.
We'd better call Brady.
- Why?
- He's out of the 2-9.
It's her former precinct.
♪
[dramatic music]
♪
- Did you know him well?
- Yeah.
I was the one that
recommended he transfer
to the Major
Narcotics department.
He was a great cop.
I hate this.
- What do we know?
- Found him early this morning.
So far, no witnesses,
no cameras in the area.
Killer used a 9 millimeter.
Found a shell casing
near the body.
Didn't even see it coming.
His service weapon
was still holstered.
Incoming, Lou.
Jess, thanks for calling.
Captain.
You OK?
When we find the guy who
did this, I will be, yeah.
He has two little boys at home.
He shares custody with his ex.
We'll notify the family.
You got any idea what he
might have been doing out here
last night around midnight?
All I know is that his
unit executed a raid
on a stash house last night.
It was a good bust.
They got four collars
and seized 10 kilos
of pure fentanyl.
♪
He was good police.
His teammates respected
the hell out of him.
♪
He was killed sometime around
midnight, shot from behind.
Brandt.
Easy, buddy.
Oh, don't tell me
about easy, Melcher.
He wasn't your partner.
Miles, we get it.
We all want to catch this
son of a bitch that did this.
But look at me.
Miles, look at me.
You know me.
You all know me.
I'm gonna do right by Harrison.
We're gonna find out who did it,
and we're gonna make him pay.
- Yeah.
- Just to be clear,
Lieutenant Brady is
leading this investigation.
And it's on all of us to do
everything we can to help her.
OK, let's start
from the beginning.
Anybody know why Harrison
was in the park last night?
Well, we all went out for
drinks after the bust.
It was a place in
the East Village,
so he must have
been walking home.
Anybody catch what
time he left the bar?
- Pretty sure we all did.
- What does that mean?
It was a whole scene.
He was chasing after Mimi again.
Mimi?
He's got a new
girlfriend, Maureen.
She met up with us.
She can kind of be
a lot to deal with.
And he was chasing her?
They got into a
fight around 11:30.
But it got heated.
She stormed out, and
he ran after her.
[voice breaking] I can't
believe Jordy is really
Unfortunately, he is.
And we heard that you two
got in a fight last night.
His cop buddies tell you that?
They hate anyone
that interferes with
their little boys club.
So you guys weren't
in a fight last night?
We had an argument.
About what?
Jordan was in a really bad mood.
How come?
He wouldn't tell me.
He'd have so much
going on inside.
But he never let me in.
Yeah, the job can
do that to you.
Not easy being a cop.
Neither is loving one.
So you guys did get into
it last night, right?
- I was drunk.
- I got in a taxi,
and I told him I
couldn't do this anymore,
and I left.
You know anybody that
might have had a problem
with Jordan?
The only person I can
think of is his brother.
- His brother?
- They don't get along.
They barely speak.
But for some reason,
they had lunch
yesterday afternoon.
When I asked him how it went,
he said he didn't
want to talk about it.
Tracked down the taxi driver.
He backed up the
girlfriend's story.
Yeah, I looked at her
phone records, too.
She sent 27 drunk texts last
night after they parted ways.
Last one was at 3:12 AM,
hours after Harrison
was already shot.
So either she's a
criminal mastermind
trying to throw us
off the scent
Or she had no idea he was dead.
What about the brother?
Yeah, we looked into him, too,
got a pretty good idea why he
and Harrison didn't get along.
He's a social worker in Red Hook
and a very vocal member
of an organization
called Abolish Now.
I'm guessing he's not
talking about ending slavery.
No, his group believes
that the police force
should be done
away with entirely.
Well, you ain't
kidding about vocal.
He posted this four days ago.
"The only good cop
is a dead cop."
As compassionate
as he is original.
Track the idiot down.
[tense music]
OK, that does it for today.
Thank you, everyone,
for sharing.
♪
Tyler Harrison.
I knew you'd find me.
And I'm not sorry.
I did what I had to do.
That was easy.
You're coming with us.
- Get your hands off of me!
- Hey, do we have a problem?
Yeah, we do, it's called
an excessive use of force.
Oh, that's interesting.
You're the one who
killed your brother.
We're the ones guilty
of excessive force?
Jordan's dead?
Just like you wanted, right?
"Only good cop is a dead cop"?
- Wait, wait.
- I-I didn't kill him.
I-I didn't know he
Oh, yeah? Where were you
last night around midnight?
I want a lawyer.
My client had nothing to do with
what happened to his brother.
Then why won't he
tell us where he was
the night Detective
Harrison was killed?
We know they had lunch
earlier that day and fought.
We know how he feels
about the cops.
"I'm not sorry. I did
what I had to do."
It's a pretty cold way to
describe killing your brother.
I wasn't talking about Jordan.
What were you talking about?
I vandalized a cop car
in my neighborhood.
Vandalism?
That's what you're
worried about?
The officers it belonged to
kept hanging around my block,
harassing young Black
kids for no reason.
And you thought that
was the best solution?
When the detective showed up,
I thought it was about that.
Jordan and I argued, but
I would never hurt him.
I loved him.
That's why I didn't
want him to be part of
such a corrupt institution.
I don't get it.
I mean, yeah, sure, there
are some bad apples.
Of course there are.
But your brother
wasn't one of them.
I knew him.
He was exactly the kind of
person you want to be a cop.
There's no such thing
as a few bad apples.
They spoil the whole bunch.
The point is, my
client was in Brooklyn
when Jordan Harrison
was murdered.
♪
We found street cam
footage of Tyler Harrison
slashing the cop car
tires, just like he said.
There's no way he
could have made it
back into Manhattan by then.
He's not our guy.
All right, cut him loose.
We don't want to roll him
up for vandalizing the car?
Not this time.
Hey, Lou.
Ballistics just came back.
Striation marks on the
9 millimeter bullet
that killed Harrison matched
those in the bullet pool
from a shooting
victim six months ago.
Who was the previous victim?
Apparently, some low
level drug dealer
got shot in the leg over
some turf war situation.
Police arrest anybody?
No, there was not
enough evidence,
but they had a
suspect, Edward White.
Seriously?
That name mean something to you?
Yeah.
White is the dealer
whose stash house
was raided by the Narcotics unit
the night Harrison was murdered.
So you think White
killed Harrison?
[sighs] I didn't say that.
Then why are you
looking for him?
Because the gun that killed
Harrison came back to White.
You think that White
somehow tracked down Harrison
after the raid and shot him?
It's one theory.
Or maybe Harrison
tracked him down.
He blamed himself for
letting White get away.
He kept going on
about it at the bar.
He wouldn't drop it.
OK, any idea where
Eddie White might be?
We got surveillance up on
all his usual locations
his apartment, the club
he uses as an office.
No sightings so far.
- The texts are a fun read.
- [whistles]
[scoffs] You mean the sexts?
Yeah.
Guy's into some
pretty wild stuff.
Any idea who the lucky lady is?
Yeah, Hailey Vonn.
She's a hairstylist he's
been dating on and off
for the last few months.
Got someone posted
up at her apartment,
but no sign of White.
- OK.
- Let's tail her instead.
If he's not coming to
her, she's going to him.
[dramatic music]
♪
- No, man.
- I respect my colon.
[laughs]
Thanks.
You guys lucked out
getting Brady transferred.
She's solid.
Yeah, I guess so.
- You guess so?
- What's that supposed to mean?
She plays her cards
pretty close to the vest.
But she's one of
the guys, you know?
Shoots straight.
If you're not getting answers,
you're just not asking
the right questions.
There's our girl.
- Yeah.
- Melcher's got her on foot.
- All right.
- [engine turns over]
I'm gonna square the block
so she doesn't make me.
♪
- Yeah, it's all right.
- We got eyes on her.
She's grabbing some
lunch for lover boy?
- Ooh, spicy tuna rolls.
- Talk to me.
Man, you just had,
like, 15 beef sticks.
- I had 11.
- You can't count.
How long you two been partners?
♪
Little over a year.
Feels like 10, though.
- Eh.
- [chuckles]
Where the hell is Vonn?
- I've been watching the front.
- She didn't exit.
Yeah, this isn't right.
♪
Melcher.
- No, no, no.
- Don't touch that.
- [alarm blaring]
- It's an alarm.
♪
Hey.
- [screams]
- Do not move, all right?
Do you hear me? Don't move.
- Hands. Hands.
- Door! Runner!
- You got her?
- Go. I've got her.
Keep your hands up.
♪
- I'll go around.
- Yep.
♪
Freeze!
Yo, drop your weapon!
Drop it! Drop your weapon!
I surrender.
- Drop your weapon!
- I said I surrender, man.
- It's on the ground already.
- Drop it!
- He's unarmed.
- Put it down.
He's unarmed.
- Turn around.
- Get your man.
Turn your ass around!
Ed White, you're under arrest.
Anything you say can and
will be used against you.
- Do you understand?
- I ain't do nothing.
- [panting] Thank you.
- I'm sorry, I just got
I got caught up in the
moment of everything.
I get it.
That piece of trash
shot your partner.
But we do this right, yeah?
Yeah.
[sirens wailing]
We're giving you a
chance here, Eddie.
So let's try this again,
this time with some honesty.
How about that?
I'm telling you, I had nothing
to do with whatever
happened to this cop
you keep talking about, man.
I don't even know who he is.
All right, then how do you
explain that the gun that
was used to kill
Officer Harrison
wound up in your little hideout?
Don't know.
Someone else must
have put it there.
So someone else has
sprinkled your fingerprints
across it too, is that it?
- It's my gun, aight?
- But I lost it.
[chuckles]
If you're gonna lie to us,
at least make it sound good.
It was in my duffel.
The blue duffel I had when
the cops raided my place,
- it was in there.
- Here we go.
We already checked
on this, Eddie.
There was no record
of a blue duffel bag
being recovered from the raid!
[scoffs] So I guess that
means there's no record
of the 50K in cash that
was in there either, huh?
Or the 300K worth of product?
- There's not.
- Well, there you go.
- Oh, well, there you go.
- There you go.
What's that even
mean, smart ass?
Mean I want my lawyer.
I think that's a good decision
because you're being
charged with the murder
of Jordan Harrison.
And he takes the perp down.
He must have covered
20 feet in one jump.
Yeah, I told him,
you're showing off.
And he goes,
if you got it, flaunt it.
[laughter]
And he had it.
To Harrison.
All: To Harrison.
And to Brady,
who caught the son of
a bitch who killed him.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
- Hey.
- Yeah.
[fists pounding on table]
[sighs]
[sighs]
I've been to too many of these.
Well, they don't get any
easier, that's for sure.
Yeah, I know.
Hey, Linda and I bought
a condo in Arizona.
We're thinking about
retiring there.
Yeah, I'll drink to that.
- Down the road.
- Tonight, we drink to Harrison.
[glasses clink]
I really admired that
kid. He did it right.
Do you remember that
time a while back
before I transferred,
when he came to me
with that complaint?
Oh, you're talking
about that time
he wanted to report a
fellow officer to IAB
for pocketing a little cash?
[chuckles]
I had to teach him that
there are certain things
you don't see, even if you do.
He ever make any
noise like that again?
What do you mean about?
[tense music]
You caught his killer, Jess.
That's all that matters.
- I'm just
- Leave it alone.
♪
Can you get me the
body cam footage
from the night of the raid?
What for?
I think we arrested
the wrong guy.
♪
What exactly is it
we're looking for?
A blue duffel bag.
White said he left
it when he took off.
He said the gun that killed
Harrison was in the bag.
Yeah, well, of course
he's gonna say that.
He's toast.
He's already setting
up his defense.
Maybe.
The truth is gonna
come out eventually.
We might as well
get in front of it.
Jess,
you got to let this go.
You already got your
killer. It's over.
There.
Right there.
This is Harrison's body cam
after White had already escaped.
Blue duffel bag,
just like White said.
Mm-hmm.
But it was never
entered into evidence.
Right.
So now what?
So whoever took that bag
is most likely the killer.
Wait, so you're saying you
think a cop's involved.
Sure looks like it.
Not including Brandt,
there were nine officers
there that night.
Realistically, any one of them
could have grabbed that bag
and taken it without
anyone noticing.
Yeah, but only one of
them could have planted it
in the sushi joint.
- Melcher.
- Yep.
When we chased White down,
Melcher stayed behind.
It would have given him
ample time to put the gun
under the mattress
where we found it.
[sighs]
I don't buy it.
I I worked with
Melch for 10 years.
He wouldn't do this.
Well, there's only
one way to be sure.
I mean, we have to find out if
he's in possession of the bag.
- And if he is
- He's a cop.
He's not gonna keep
it at his house.
A few years ago, his
wife kicked him out,
and me and a few of the
guys helped him move.
And we put a bunch of his stuff
in a storage unit in Queens,
on, um, Woodside,
off of Northern.
It had kind of a dumb ass name.
Don Jon Self-Storage?
That's it.
I'll call the facility
and get the unit number.
I'll get a warrant.
I mean, it might take a minute,
but I think I know a few
judges who'll play ball.
- Good to go.
- Let's open it up.
[lock clicks]
[soft dramatic music]
♪
OK, here we go.
Blue duffel.
♪
[chuckles] Whoa.
I'm no expert, but that
looks like fentanyl to me.
Yeah, it is.
God.
You were right. It's Melcher.
- Miles Brandt
- Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
You're under arrest for the
murder of Jordan Harrison.
- What the hell are you doing?
- Shaw.
Melcher doesn't own
this storage unit.
He never did.
You got played, bro.
- You stole the money.
- You stole the drugs.
And when Harrison
threatened to report you,
you killed him.
♪
Your own partner.
What the hell are
you talking about?
Get this piece of
trash out of my sight.
- With pleasure.
- Move.
Move.
- Nice work.
- Mm.
How'd you know it
was Brandt, though?
♪
Let's call it a hunch.
Brady worked with Internal
Affairs to set a trap,
and Brandt walked right into it.
So Brady had hidden cameras
all over the facility
and inside the unit.
We have video, clear as day,
Brandt breaking into
it with the duffel.
Impressive.
But that only proves that
Brandt was in possession
of the stolen cash and fentanyl,
not that he murdered
Jordan Harrison.
But having the duffel also
means he had the murder weapon.
The gun was in the bag.
According to Eddie White,
a career criminal with his own
motive to commit the murder.
We're gonna need a lot more
than that to convince a jury.
And we have it.
Police executed a search
warrant at Brandt's home.
Harrison's blood was found on
the shoes Brandt was wearing
on the night of the murder.
Then let's charge the son
of a bitch with murder one.
This is a clear case of
political grandstanding
from the district
attorney's office.
They're trying to win points
with their liberal base
by railroading a decorated
officer of the NYPD
at the expense of prosecuting
the actual criminal
of this heinous murder.
And we're the ones
grandstanding.
I'll hear you on
bail, Ms. Maroun.
The people seek remand.
Your Honor, given that
prison is a notoriously
unsafe place for
police officers,
we are asking for
a reasonable bail.
- Bail is set at $2 million.
- [gavel bangs]
Greg.
Tell me the truth.
Did you know?
I knew the same thing you did,
that he wasn't afraid to
pocket a little drug money
here and there.
But as far as I
knew, that was it.
It didn't go any further.
♪
He was a damn good cop.
He closed more cases than any
other officer in our precinct.
Yeah, got results.
So all of us looked
the other way.
Look, if you're expecting
an apology from me,
it's not gonna happen.
It breaks my heart,
but he did what he did,
and now he's gonna
pay the price.
♪
We need you to testify
about what time
Brandt left the bar on the
night Harrison was killed.
We need to establish a
timeline for the jury
and show them that
Brandt had opportunity
- to commit the murder.
- Well, he did.
He left a little after
Harrison, around 11:45.
- That's great.
- That is all we need you to say.
That may be the case, but,
um, it's not gonna happen.
I won't testify against
another officer.
♪
Seriously?
Brandt tried to frame
you for the murder.
I know.
He's scum.
But a few years from now,
nobody will remember
the details.
All that'll stick
in people's minds
is that I took the stand
and sold out a fellow cop.
You know we can
subpoena you, right?
Go ahead.
You won't like the result.
Look, I got a lot of years left.
I can't be known as the cop who
testified against another cop.
I just can't.
♪
And I doubt anyone else
in my unit will, either.
♪
Well, none of
Brandt's squad members
are willing to
testify against him.
Which is gonna make
it hard to put Brandt
near Harrison at the
time of the murder,
among other things.
You've hit the blue wall.
We need to bury Brandt
one way or another, so
Are are you suggesting
we offer a deal?
I'm suggesting you do
whatever the hell is necessary
to put Brandt behind bars.
And if that means
cutting a deal, so be it.
Like it or not,
Nolan, the defendant
is a decorated police officer,
and our star witness is a drug
dealer with 27 convictions.
I still think we can win.
Then proceed.
But the defense
is going to attack
Eddie White's credibility.
Make sure you get
out in front of it.
But the gun that
killed Officer Harrison
was found in the
sushi restaurant
where you were hiding.
That may be true, but
I ain't put it there.
Wasn't the defendant present
when detectives
searched the room?
Yes.
So he could have planted it?
- Objection.
- Calls for speculation.
Sustained.
Mr. White,
you're a convicted felon.
You have been found guilty of
shooting people in the past.
Why on earth should
we believe you?
Because I'm telling
the truth, for real.
Ain't no way I could
have shot that guy.
First off, I ain't
even know him.
He was just a random white
cop who busted in my door
with a bunch of
other white cops.
And second, I was hiding from
the police when he got killed,
not out on the streets
looking to hunt him down.
- Thank you.
- Nothing further.
Mr. White, during the
raid of your stash house,
police confiscated over
half a million dollars
worth of fentanyl, which you
were planning to distribute.
I'd like to circle back to what
Mr. Price alluded to earlier,
that you shot
people in the past.
And in each case, the
motive was retribution.
I don't know what that means.
It means you were
looking to get revenge.
Oh, yeah, that's true.
I had problems with those guys.
So when people wrong you,
you shoot them, correct?
It just depends on how bad
they wronged me, I suppose.
Well, in this case,
the police wronged
you pretty damn bad.
They confiscated your
drugs and your money,
which means you wanted revenge.
- Objection, Your Honor.
- She is badgering the witness.
Sustained.
I'll leave it there.
Nothing further.
Detective Riley, can
you explain for us
what the defendant is
doing here in this video?
He's breaking into
a storage unit
that he knew we were
gonna search the next day
and planting the
stolen duffel bag.
And what was in that bag?
Exactly what Edward
White told us would be,
$50,000 in cash and a
significant amount of fentanyl.
We then executed a search
of the defendant's home,
where we recovered
a pair of shoes
that were later determined to
be the shoes he was wearing
the night that
Harrison was killed.
Did you find anything
on those shoes?
We found trace
elements of blood.
DNA tests later confirmed that
it was, in fact, Harrison's.
- Thank you.
- No further questions.
Detective Riley,
you were present
when the murder weapon
was found in the room
where Eddie White was hiding
out from police, weren't you?
I was, yes.
Did you see my
client plant the gun
under Eddie White's mattress,
as Mr. Price has suggested?
No.
And he's not the one
who found the gun.
No.
In fact, he never touched
the gun at any point, did he?
Not that I'm aware of.
You said tests showed
that Jordan Harrison's blood
was on my client's shoe.
Were those tests
able to determine
how long the blood was there?
I don't believe so, no.
You're a police
officer yourself.
Isn't it possible in
the almost two years
that they worked together,
Jordan Harrison sustained
some cut or injury
that resulted in
some of his blood getting
on my client's shoe?
It's possible, yeah.
Thank you.
Nothing further.
Ms. Paymore, you may
call your first witness.
The defense calls Officer
Miles Brandt to the stand.
Jordan Harrison was my partner.
Of course I didn't kill him.
I would do anything
to protect him.
And that's how I ended up
with the stolen fentanyl.
I don't understand.
I didn't steal the duffel bag.
Harrison did.
[indistinct chatter]
So that night after the raid,
I came out and I caught Jordy
stuffing the duffel up into the
spare tire well of our vehicle.
There was too many people
around to say anything,
so I waited till later
and I followed
him out of the bar
and I confronted him about it.
What'd he say?
Said he worked out a
deal with Eddie White.
He even offered to
cut me in on it.
Did you take him up on it?
No.
And I didn't want to see Jordan
go down that path either.
But I wanted to help, so I
took the duffel bag from him,
and I was gonna sneak it
into the evidence locker
the next day.
But then, uh
Then Jordan was killed.
And then Lieutenant
Brady told me that
she knew someone from my unit
had stolen the duffel bag,
and I panicked.
I was worried that I was gonna
take the rap for this thing.
And that's when I
broke into the storage locker.
I should have done better.
I should have
intervened earlier.
And if I had
then he'd still be alive.
But I didn't kill him.
Thank you.
No further questions.
You didn't come forward
after Harrison was murdered.
You didn't notify
the police, correct?
Because I wanted to
protect his reputation.
Didn't want his family
to know, his kids.
But according to you,
you knew who his killer
was Edward White.
And I busted my ass from
minute one to track him down.
I worked with Homicide, too.
White was already
the chief suspect,
so I tarnished Jordan's memory,
not to mention that
would have just fed into
the public's misconceptions
about cops being corrupt.
And make no mistake,
those misconceptions
are the reason that
I'm on trial right now
for my partner's murder,
instead of the drug dealer
that actually killed him.
You claim to be a noble
champion of the police,
yet you framed your
fellow officer,
Travis Melcher,
his squad leader
completely innocent
yet you were willing to let him
go down for the whole thing.
I was all turned around.
I wasn't sleeping.
And I was a mess over
Jordan being gone.
And I knew how bad
that it would look
if I got caught with that bag.
You're just making this
whole thing up, aren't you?
There's no proof that anything
you're saying is true.
You want proof?
How about my Distinguished
Service Medal
and my Combat Cross
and 14 other
commendations in 25 years
without so much as one complaint
or violation in my file?
You can't ask for
better proof than that.
♪
This guy murders Harrison,
and now he's destroying
his memories,
putting his corruption
on a good cop.
You just have to hope
the jury is smart enough
to see through all of that.
Good news is,
people don't trust the
police like they used to.
It might help them
realize he's lying.
If you ask me, a badge
still means something
to a few people,
especially against the word
of a punk like Edward White.
And Brandt's spotless
record doesn't help either.
Well, yeah, he looks
like a perfect cop.
The guy's been
corrupt since day one.
His record's clear because
cops don't report other cops.
If you know someone who can
impeach Brandt's testimony
that he has an
unblemished record
[laughs] I'm all ears.
You want me to testify
against Brandt?
We knew about the accusations.
Everybody knew he
was stealing money.
Hell, we knew.
Are you really asking me to
torch my career for this?
For Harrison and his children.
[sighs] That's not fair, Jess.
Sure it is.
I mean, if you and I had done
what we were supposed to do,
Brandt would have been kicked
off the force years ago,
and Harrison would
still be alive.
Well, if I could go back
and change that, I would.
We could change it right now.
No, we can't.
Me getting up on the stand
and testifying against Brandt
is not gonna bring
Harrison back to life.
What's important now is that
we take care of his
family, his children,
make sure they got enough
money to live a good life.
Do you hear yourself right now?
I sound the same
as I always have.
Yeah, that's the problem.
What the hell is that
supposed to mean?
Things have changed.
This blue wall
has just got to stop.
The man is dead.
I understand that,
but I'm putting in my
papers next week, Jess.
I'm retiring.
And if I get on that stand,
they're gonna fire me for
knowing what I did about Brandt
and looking the other way.
And then what happens?
My reputation? My pension?
After 40 years on the force,
I'm gonna lose my pension?
No, I'm not doing it.
And I'm asking you as
a friend just to
just stay out of it.
[tense music]
♪
[door slams]
[knocking]
You OK?
You knew that Brandt
was dirty, didn't you?
Way back,
when I was just a uni,
there was a sergeant
in my precinct
that would take "tips" from
the local business owners.
You know, he'd
look out for them.
And my partner told me
not to say anything.
And I remember thinking,
but that's so
wrong.
And now, 20 plus years later,
when Harrison comes to me upset
that Brandt is skimming off
the busts, I say to him,
I think it would be better
if you just didn't
worry about that stuff.
And I didn't even think
about the fact that it was
wrong.
[soft dramatic music]
♪
I mean, we all let things
slide from time to time.
And I know it's an
unpopular opinion,
but I do think there's
something to be said about
cops looking out
for one another,
having each other's
back, you know?
It's not always bad,
within reason.
What is reasonable?
Where does this damn wall
begin and where does it end?
- Yeah, yeah.
- That's a tough one.
Where's your line, Vince?
When do you talk and
when do you stay quiet?
Well, if you really
want to know, I
I think about my kids,
trying to describe
the situation to them.
You know, if I don't
like how it sounds
or how I feel trying
to rationalize it,
then that's how I know
I'm doing the wrong thing.
♪
- Good night.
- Night.
[door shuts]
During your time
as his lieutenant,
were you ever aware
of accusations
of misconduct made
against the defendant?
Yes, I received several
complaints about him
failing to accurately
record the amount of cash
or other valuable items
recovered during raids.
So he stole money seized
from criminal operations
and pocketed it for himself.
Yes.
Those were the accusations, yes.
Did Jordan Harrison ever come
to you with such a complaint?
- Yes.
- Harrison was very upset.
And did you report
these complaints
to your commanding officer,
Captain Greg Stockwell?
Yes.
But no formal citation
was ever issued.
Brandt was never
investigated or sanctioned.
Why?
I take full
responsibility for that.
I'm the one that
talked Harrison out of
pursuing the matter.
Is that what Captain Stockwell
instructed you to do?
The truth is, is everybody
knew Brandt took liberties.
Nobody thought it
would go this far.
So what you're saying
is that everyone knew the
defendant was corrupt.
There's an understanding
amongst officers.
The blue wall?
Harrison couldn't stomach it.
He thought that being a good cop
meant making sure the
cops you were working with
were good too.
And, um,
I now realize he was right.
♪
[dramatic music]
♪
In the charge of murder
in the first degree,
we find the defendant,
Miles Brandt,
guilty.
Members of the jury, thank
you for your service.
You are excused.
♪
[handcuffs clicking]
[knocking]
- Greg
- Save it.
You made your choice.
Don't come around here
looking for forgiveness.
[low dramatic music]
♪
Got a visitor, Jess.
Lieutenant Brady?
Detective Jason Cassidy,
Internal Affairs.
We need to talk
about Miles Brandt.
[dramatic music]
♪
[dramatic music]
♪
[wolf howls]
In the criminal justice system,
the people are represented
by two separate, yet
equally important groups:
the police, who
investigate crime,
and the district attorneys,
who prosecute the offenders.
These are their stories.
[dramatic music]
♪
♪
[speaks indistinctly]
Go. Move.
Hey, Jordy, we got
this, all right?
Stay aware. Stay alive.
[exhales]
[indistinct shouting]
- NYPD! Hands up!
- Show me your hands!
- Watch out!
- They got weapons.
[rapid gunfire]
Show me your hands!
- Jordy, I got these guys.
- Go clear that back room.
I'm on it.
NYPD!
Stop. [grunts]
Freeze!
♪
[door opens]
♪
No way out.
♪
Give it up. Show yourself.
[both grunting]
[groans, grunts]
No! No!
[door bangs]
Hey! Drop it!
Stop!
Grant! Grant, help!
Over here.
Help me up. Come on.
Jordy, give me your arm, buddy.
Give me your arm. Come on.
Come on, Jord.
♪
Hey, you good?
[panting]
I thought I told
you to stay alive.
[laughs]
[sirens whoop]
Cause of death appears to be
a single gunshot to the back.
Based on body temp, I'd
say he's only been dead
five or six hours.
So somebody killed
him around midnight.
- Mm-hmm.
- It's not the smartest time
to be walking through the park.
Cell phone.
He's got his wallet, too.
So, not a robbery?
[car horn honking]
Oh, Christ.
Vic's a cop.
Sergeant Jordan Harrison,
Major Case Narcotics.
We'd better call Brady.
- Why?
- He's out of the 2-9.
It's her former precinct.
♪
[dramatic music]
♪
- Did you know him well?
- Yeah.
I was the one that
recommended he transfer
to the Major
Narcotics department.
He was a great cop.
I hate this.
- What do we know?
- Found him early this morning.
So far, no witnesses,
no cameras in the area.
Killer used a 9 millimeter.
Found a shell casing
near the body.
Didn't even see it coming.
His service weapon
was still holstered.
Incoming, Lou.
Jess, thanks for calling.
Captain.
You OK?
When we find the guy who
did this, I will be, yeah.
He has two little boys at home.
He shares custody with his ex.
We'll notify the family.
You got any idea what he
might have been doing out here
last night around midnight?
All I know is that his
unit executed a raid
on a stash house last night.
It was a good bust.
They got four collars
and seized 10 kilos
of pure fentanyl.
♪
He was good police.
His teammates respected
the hell out of him.
♪
He was killed sometime around
midnight, shot from behind.
Brandt.
Easy, buddy.
Oh, don't tell me
about easy, Melcher.
He wasn't your partner.
Miles, we get it.
We all want to catch this
son of a bitch that did this.
But look at me.
Miles, look at me.
You know me.
You all know me.
I'm gonna do right by Harrison.
We're gonna find out who did it,
and we're gonna make him pay.
- Yeah.
- Just to be clear,
Lieutenant Brady is
leading this investigation.
And it's on all of us to do
everything we can to help her.
OK, let's start
from the beginning.
Anybody know why Harrison
was in the park last night?
Well, we all went out for
drinks after the bust.
It was a place in
the East Village,
so he must have
been walking home.
Anybody catch what
time he left the bar?
- Pretty sure we all did.
- What does that mean?
It was a whole scene.
He was chasing after Mimi again.
Mimi?
He's got a new
girlfriend, Maureen.
She met up with us.
She can kind of be
a lot to deal with.
And he was chasing her?
They got into a
fight around 11:30.
But it got heated.
She stormed out, and
he ran after her.
[voice breaking] I can't
believe Jordy is really
Unfortunately, he is.
And we heard that you two
got in a fight last night.
His cop buddies tell you that?
They hate anyone
that interferes with
their little boys club.
So you guys weren't
in a fight last night?
We had an argument.
About what?
Jordan was in a really bad mood.
How come?
He wouldn't tell me.
He'd have so much
going on inside.
But he never let me in.
Yeah, the job can
do that to you.
Not easy being a cop.
Neither is loving one.
So you guys did get into
it last night, right?
- I was drunk.
- I got in a taxi,
and I told him I
couldn't do this anymore,
and I left.
You know anybody that
might have had a problem
with Jordan?
The only person I can
think of is his brother.
- His brother?
- They don't get along.
They barely speak.
But for some reason,
they had lunch
yesterday afternoon.
When I asked him how it went,
he said he didn't
want to talk about it.
Tracked down the taxi driver.
He backed up the
girlfriend's story.
Yeah, I looked at her
phone records, too.
She sent 27 drunk texts last
night after they parted ways.
Last one was at 3:12 AM,
hours after Harrison
was already shot.
So either she's a
criminal mastermind
trying to throw us
off the scent
Or she had no idea he was dead.
What about the brother?
Yeah, we looked into him, too,
got a pretty good idea why he
and Harrison didn't get along.
He's a social worker in Red Hook
and a very vocal member
of an organization
called Abolish Now.
I'm guessing he's not
talking about ending slavery.
No, his group believes
that the police force
should be done
away with entirely.
Well, you ain't
kidding about vocal.
He posted this four days ago.
"The only good cop
is a dead cop."
As compassionate
as he is original.
Track the idiot down.
[tense music]
OK, that does it for today.
Thank you, everyone,
for sharing.
♪
Tyler Harrison.
I knew you'd find me.
And I'm not sorry.
I did what I had to do.
That was easy.
You're coming with us.
- Get your hands off of me!
- Hey, do we have a problem?
Yeah, we do, it's called
an excessive use of force.
Oh, that's interesting.
You're the one who
killed your brother.
We're the ones guilty
of excessive force?
Jordan's dead?
Just like you wanted, right?
"Only good cop is a dead cop"?
- Wait, wait.
- I-I didn't kill him.
I-I didn't know he
Oh, yeah? Where were you
last night around midnight?
I want a lawyer.
My client had nothing to do with
what happened to his brother.
Then why won't he
tell us where he was
the night Detective
Harrison was killed?
We know they had lunch
earlier that day and fought.
We know how he feels
about the cops.
"I'm not sorry. I did
what I had to do."
It's a pretty cold way to
describe killing your brother.
I wasn't talking about Jordan.
What were you talking about?
I vandalized a cop car
in my neighborhood.
Vandalism?
That's what you're
worried about?
The officers it belonged to
kept hanging around my block,
harassing young Black
kids for no reason.
And you thought that
was the best solution?
When the detective showed up,
I thought it was about that.
Jordan and I argued, but
I would never hurt him.
I loved him.
That's why I didn't
want him to be part of
such a corrupt institution.
I don't get it.
I mean, yeah, sure, there
are some bad apples.
Of course there are.
But your brother
wasn't one of them.
I knew him.
He was exactly the kind of
person you want to be a cop.
There's no such thing
as a few bad apples.
They spoil the whole bunch.
The point is, my
client was in Brooklyn
when Jordan Harrison
was murdered.
♪
We found street cam
footage of Tyler Harrison
slashing the cop car
tires, just like he said.
There's no way he
could have made it
back into Manhattan by then.
He's not our guy.
All right, cut him loose.
We don't want to roll him
up for vandalizing the car?
Not this time.
Hey, Lou.
Ballistics just came back.
Striation marks on the
9 millimeter bullet
that killed Harrison matched
those in the bullet pool
from a shooting
victim six months ago.
Who was the previous victim?
Apparently, some low
level drug dealer
got shot in the leg over
some turf war situation.
Police arrest anybody?
No, there was not
enough evidence,
but they had a
suspect, Edward White.
Seriously?
That name mean something to you?
Yeah.
White is the dealer
whose stash house
was raided by the Narcotics unit
the night Harrison was murdered.
So you think White
killed Harrison?
[sighs] I didn't say that.
Then why are you
looking for him?
Because the gun that killed
Harrison came back to White.
You think that White
somehow tracked down Harrison
after the raid and shot him?
It's one theory.
Or maybe Harrison
tracked him down.
He blamed himself for
letting White get away.
He kept going on
about it at the bar.
He wouldn't drop it.
OK, any idea where
Eddie White might be?
We got surveillance up on
all his usual locations
his apartment, the club
he uses as an office.
No sightings so far.
- The texts are a fun read.
- [whistles]
[scoffs] You mean the sexts?
Yeah.
Guy's into some
pretty wild stuff.
Any idea who the lucky lady is?
Yeah, Hailey Vonn.
She's a hairstylist he's
been dating on and off
for the last few months.
Got someone posted
up at her apartment,
but no sign of White.
- OK.
- Let's tail her instead.
If he's not coming to
her, she's going to him.
[dramatic music]
♪
- No, man.
- I respect my colon.
[laughs]
Thanks.
You guys lucked out
getting Brady transferred.
She's solid.
Yeah, I guess so.
- You guess so?
- What's that supposed to mean?
She plays her cards
pretty close to the vest.
But she's one of
the guys, you know?
Shoots straight.
If you're not getting answers,
you're just not asking
the right questions.
There's our girl.
- Yeah.
- Melcher's got her on foot.
- All right.
- [engine turns over]
I'm gonna square the block
so she doesn't make me.
♪
- Yeah, it's all right.
- We got eyes on her.
She's grabbing some
lunch for lover boy?
- Ooh, spicy tuna rolls.
- Talk to me.
Man, you just had,
like, 15 beef sticks.
- I had 11.
- You can't count.
How long you two been partners?
♪
Little over a year.
Feels like 10, though.
- Eh.
- [chuckles]
Where the hell is Vonn?
- I've been watching the front.
- She didn't exit.
Yeah, this isn't right.
♪
Melcher.
- No, no, no.
- Don't touch that.
- [alarm blaring]
- It's an alarm.
♪
Hey.
- [screams]
- Do not move, all right?
Do you hear me? Don't move.
- Hands. Hands.
- Door! Runner!
- You got her?
- Go. I've got her.
Keep your hands up.
♪
- I'll go around.
- Yep.
♪
Freeze!
Yo, drop your weapon!
Drop it! Drop your weapon!
I surrender.
- Drop your weapon!
- I said I surrender, man.
- It's on the ground already.
- Drop it!
- He's unarmed.
- Put it down.
He's unarmed.
- Turn around.
- Get your man.
Turn your ass around!
Ed White, you're under arrest.
Anything you say can and
will be used against you.
- Do you understand?
- I ain't do nothing.
- [panting] Thank you.
- I'm sorry, I just got
I got caught up in the
moment of everything.
I get it.
That piece of trash
shot your partner.
But we do this right, yeah?
Yeah.
[sirens wailing]
We're giving you a
chance here, Eddie.
So let's try this again,
this time with some honesty.
How about that?
I'm telling you, I had nothing
to do with whatever
happened to this cop
you keep talking about, man.
I don't even know who he is.
All right, then how do you
explain that the gun that
was used to kill
Officer Harrison
wound up in your little hideout?
Don't know.
Someone else must
have put it there.
So someone else has
sprinkled your fingerprints
across it too, is that it?
- It's my gun, aight?
- But I lost it.
[chuckles]
If you're gonna lie to us,
at least make it sound good.
It was in my duffel.
The blue duffel I had when
the cops raided my place,
- it was in there.
- Here we go.
We already checked
on this, Eddie.
There was no record
of a blue duffel bag
being recovered from the raid!
[scoffs] So I guess that
means there's no record
of the 50K in cash that
was in there either, huh?
Or the 300K worth of product?
- There's not.
- Well, there you go.
- Oh, well, there you go.
- There you go.
What's that even
mean, smart ass?
Mean I want my lawyer.
I think that's a good decision
because you're being
charged with the murder
of Jordan Harrison.
And he takes the perp down.
He must have covered
20 feet in one jump.
Yeah, I told him,
you're showing off.
And he goes,
if you got it, flaunt it.
[laughter]
And he had it.
To Harrison.
All: To Harrison.
And to Brady,
who caught the son of
a bitch who killed him.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
- Hey.
- Yeah.
[fists pounding on table]
[sighs]
[sighs]
I've been to too many of these.
Well, they don't get any
easier, that's for sure.
Yeah, I know.
Hey, Linda and I bought
a condo in Arizona.
We're thinking about
retiring there.
Yeah, I'll drink to that.
- Down the road.
- Tonight, we drink to Harrison.
[glasses clink]
I really admired that
kid. He did it right.
Do you remember that
time a while back
before I transferred,
when he came to me
with that complaint?
Oh, you're talking
about that time
he wanted to report a
fellow officer to IAB
for pocketing a little cash?
[chuckles]
I had to teach him that
there are certain things
you don't see, even if you do.
He ever make any
noise like that again?
What do you mean about?
[tense music]
You caught his killer, Jess.
That's all that matters.
- I'm just
- Leave it alone.
♪
Can you get me the
body cam footage
from the night of the raid?
What for?
I think we arrested
the wrong guy.
♪
What exactly is it
we're looking for?
A blue duffel bag.
White said he left
it when he took off.
He said the gun that killed
Harrison was in the bag.
Yeah, well, of course
he's gonna say that.
He's toast.
He's already setting
up his defense.
Maybe.
The truth is gonna
come out eventually.
We might as well
get in front of it.
Jess,
you got to let this go.
You already got your
killer. It's over.
There.
Right there.
This is Harrison's body cam
after White had already escaped.
Blue duffel bag,
just like White said.
Mm-hmm.
But it was never
entered into evidence.
Right.
So now what?
So whoever took that bag
is most likely the killer.
Wait, so you're saying you
think a cop's involved.
Sure looks like it.
Not including Brandt,
there were nine officers
there that night.
Realistically, any one of them
could have grabbed that bag
and taken it without
anyone noticing.
Yeah, but only one of
them could have planted it
in the sushi joint.
- Melcher.
- Yep.
When we chased White down,
Melcher stayed behind.
It would have given him
ample time to put the gun
under the mattress
where we found it.
[sighs]
I don't buy it.
I I worked with
Melch for 10 years.
He wouldn't do this.
Well, there's only
one way to be sure.
I mean, we have to find out if
he's in possession of the bag.
- And if he is
- He's a cop.
He's not gonna keep
it at his house.
A few years ago, his
wife kicked him out,
and me and a few of the
guys helped him move.
And we put a bunch of his stuff
in a storage unit in Queens,
on, um, Woodside,
off of Northern.
It had kind of a dumb ass name.
Don Jon Self-Storage?
That's it.
I'll call the facility
and get the unit number.
I'll get a warrant.
I mean, it might take a minute,
but I think I know a few
judges who'll play ball.
- Good to go.
- Let's open it up.
[lock clicks]
[soft dramatic music]
♪
OK, here we go.
Blue duffel.
♪
[chuckles] Whoa.
I'm no expert, but that
looks like fentanyl to me.
Yeah, it is.
God.
You were right. It's Melcher.
- Miles Brandt
- Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
You're under arrest for the
murder of Jordan Harrison.
- What the hell are you doing?
- Shaw.
Melcher doesn't own
this storage unit.
He never did.
You got played, bro.
- You stole the money.
- You stole the drugs.
And when Harrison
threatened to report you,
you killed him.
♪
Your own partner.
What the hell are
you talking about?
Get this piece of
trash out of my sight.
- With pleasure.
- Move.
Move.
- Nice work.
- Mm.
How'd you know it
was Brandt, though?
♪
Let's call it a hunch.
Brady worked with Internal
Affairs to set a trap,
and Brandt walked right into it.
So Brady had hidden cameras
all over the facility
and inside the unit.
We have video, clear as day,
Brandt breaking into
it with the duffel.
Impressive.
But that only proves that
Brandt was in possession
of the stolen cash and fentanyl,
not that he murdered
Jordan Harrison.
But having the duffel also
means he had the murder weapon.
The gun was in the bag.
According to Eddie White,
a career criminal with his own
motive to commit the murder.
We're gonna need a lot more
than that to convince a jury.
And we have it.
Police executed a search
warrant at Brandt's home.
Harrison's blood was found on
the shoes Brandt was wearing
on the night of the murder.
Then let's charge the son
of a bitch with murder one.
This is a clear case of
political grandstanding
from the district
attorney's office.
They're trying to win points
with their liberal base
by railroading a decorated
officer of the NYPD
at the expense of prosecuting
the actual criminal
of this heinous murder.
And we're the ones
grandstanding.
I'll hear you on
bail, Ms. Maroun.
The people seek remand.
Your Honor, given that
prison is a notoriously
unsafe place for
police officers,
we are asking for
a reasonable bail.
- Bail is set at $2 million.
- [gavel bangs]
Greg.
Tell me the truth.
Did you know?
I knew the same thing you did,
that he wasn't afraid to
pocket a little drug money
here and there.
But as far as I
knew, that was it.
It didn't go any further.
♪
He was a damn good cop.
He closed more cases than any
other officer in our precinct.
Yeah, got results.
So all of us looked
the other way.
Look, if you're expecting
an apology from me,
it's not gonna happen.
It breaks my heart,
but he did what he did,
and now he's gonna
pay the price.
♪
We need you to testify
about what time
Brandt left the bar on the
night Harrison was killed.
We need to establish a
timeline for the jury
and show them that
Brandt had opportunity
- to commit the murder.
- Well, he did.
He left a little after
Harrison, around 11:45.
- That's great.
- That is all we need you to say.
That may be the case, but,
um, it's not gonna happen.
I won't testify against
another officer.
♪
Seriously?
Brandt tried to frame
you for the murder.
I know.
He's scum.
But a few years from now,
nobody will remember
the details.
All that'll stick
in people's minds
is that I took the stand
and sold out a fellow cop.
You know we can
subpoena you, right?
Go ahead.
You won't like the result.
Look, I got a lot of years left.
I can't be known as the cop who
testified against another cop.
I just can't.
♪
And I doubt anyone else
in my unit will, either.
♪
Well, none of
Brandt's squad members
are willing to
testify against him.
Which is gonna make
it hard to put Brandt
near Harrison at the
time of the murder,
among other things.
You've hit the blue wall.
We need to bury Brandt
one way or another, so
Are are you suggesting
we offer a deal?
I'm suggesting you do
whatever the hell is necessary
to put Brandt behind bars.
And if that means
cutting a deal, so be it.
Like it or not,
Nolan, the defendant
is a decorated police officer,
and our star witness is a drug
dealer with 27 convictions.
I still think we can win.
Then proceed.
But the defense
is going to attack
Eddie White's credibility.
Make sure you get
out in front of it.
But the gun that
killed Officer Harrison
was found in the
sushi restaurant
where you were hiding.
That may be true, but
I ain't put it there.
Wasn't the defendant present
when detectives
searched the room?
Yes.
So he could have planted it?
- Objection.
- Calls for speculation.
Sustained.
Mr. White,
you're a convicted felon.
You have been found guilty of
shooting people in the past.
Why on earth should
we believe you?
Because I'm telling
the truth, for real.
Ain't no way I could
have shot that guy.
First off, I ain't
even know him.
He was just a random white
cop who busted in my door
with a bunch of
other white cops.
And second, I was hiding from
the police when he got killed,
not out on the streets
looking to hunt him down.
- Thank you.
- Nothing further.
Mr. White, during the
raid of your stash house,
police confiscated over
half a million dollars
worth of fentanyl, which you
were planning to distribute.
I'd like to circle back to what
Mr. Price alluded to earlier,
that you shot
people in the past.
And in each case, the
motive was retribution.
I don't know what that means.
It means you were
looking to get revenge.
Oh, yeah, that's true.
I had problems with those guys.
So when people wrong you,
you shoot them, correct?
It just depends on how bad
they wronged me, I suppose.
Well, in this case,
the police wronged
you pretty damn bad.
They confiscated your
drugs and your money,
which means you wanted revenge.
- Objection, Your Honor.
- She is badgering the witness.
Sustained.
I'll leave it there.
Nothing further.
Detective Riley, can
you explain for us
what the defendant is
doing here in this video?
He's breaking into
a storage unit
that he knew we were
gonna search the next day
and planting the
stolen duffel bag.
And what was in that bag?
Exactly what Edward
White told us would be,
$50,000 in cash and a
significant amount of fentanyl.
We then executed a search
of the defendant's home,
where we recovered
a pair of shoes
that were later determined to
be the shoes he was wearing
the night that
Harrison was killed.
Did you find anything
on those shoes?
We found trace
elements of blood.
DNA tests later confirmed that
it was, in fact, Harrison's.
- Thank you.
- No further questions.
Detective Riley,
you were present
when the murder weapon
was found in the room
where Eddie White was hiding
out from police, weren't you?
I was, yes.
Did you see my
client plant the gun
under Eddie White's mattress,
as Mr. Price has suggested?
No.
And he's not the one
who found the gun.
No.
In fact, he never touched
the gun at any point, did he?
Not that I'm aware of.
You said tests showed
that Jordan Harrison's blood
was on my client's shoe.
Were those tests
able to determine
how long the blood was there?
I don't believe so, no.
You're a police
officer yourself.
Isn't it possible in
the almost two years
that they worked together,
Jordan Harrison sustained
some cut or injury
that resulted in
some of his blood getting
on my client's shoe?
It's possible, yeah.
Thank you.
Nothing further.
Ms. Paymore, you may
call your first witness.
The defense calls Officer
Miles Brandt to the stand.
Jordan Harrison was my partner.
Of course I didn't kill him.
I would do anything
to protect him.
And that's how I ended up
with the stolen fentanyl.
I don't understand.
I didn't steal the duffel bag.
Harrison did.
[indistinct chatter]
So that night after the raid,
I came out and I caught Jordy
stuffing the duffel up into the
spare tire well of our vehicle.
There was too many people
around to say anything,
so I waited till later
and I followed
him out of the bar
and I confronted him about it.
What'd he say?
Said he worked out a
deal with Eddie White.
He even offered to
cut me in on it.
Did you take him up on it?
No.
And I didn't want to see Jordan
go down that path either.
But I wanted to help, so I
took the duffel bag from him,
and I was gonna sneak it
into the evidence locker
the next day.
But then, uh
Then Jordan was killed.
And then Lieutenant
Brady told me that
she knew someone from my unit
had stolen the duffel bag,
and I panicked.
I was worried that I was gonna
take the rap for this thing.
And that's when I
broke into the storage locker.
I should have done better.
I should have
intervened earlier.
And if I had
then he'd still be alive.
But I didn't kill him.
Thank you.
No further questions.
You didn't come forward
after Harrison was murdered.
You didn't notify
the police, correct?
Because I wanted to
protect his reputation.
Didn't want his family
to know, his kids.
But according to you,
you knew who his killer
was Edward White.
And I busted my ass from
minute one to track him down.
I worked with Homicide, too.
White was already
the chief suspect,
so I tarnished Jordan's memory,
not to mention that
would have just fed into
the public's misconceptions
about cops being corrupt.
And make no mistake,
those misconceptions
are the reason that
I'm on trial right now
for my partner's murder,
instead of the drug dealer
that actually killed him.
You claim to be a noble
champion of the police,
yet you framed your
fellow officer,
Travis Melcher,
his squad leader
completely innocent
yet you were willing to let him
go down for the whole thing.
I was all turned around.
I wasn't sleeping.
And I was a mess over
Jordan being gone.
And I knew how bad
that it would look
if I got caught with that bag.
You're just making this
whole thing up, aren't you?
There's no proof that anything
you're saying is true.
You want proof?
How about my Distinguished
Service Medal
and my Combat Cross
and 14 other
commendations in 25 years
without so much as one complaint
or violation in my file?
You can't ask for
better proof than that.
♪
This guy murders Harrison,
and now he's destroying
his memories,
putting his corruption
on a good cop.
You just have to hope
the jury is smart enough
to see through all of that.
Good news is,
people don't trust the
police like they used to.
It might help them
realize he's lying.
If you ask me, a badge
still means something
to a few people,
especially against the word
of a punk like Edward White.
And Brandt's spotless
record doesn't help either.
Well, yeah, he looks
like a perfect cop.
The guy's been
corrupt since day one.
His record's clear because
cops don't report other cops.
If you know someone who can
impeach Brandt's testimony
that he has an
unblemished record
[laughs] I'm all ears.
You want me to testify
against Brandt?
We knew about the accusations.
Everybody knew he
was stealing money.
Hell, we knew.
Are you really asking me to
torch my career for this?
For Harrison and his children.
[sighs] That's not fair, Jess.
Sure it is.
I mean, if you and I had done
what we were supposed to do,
Brandt would have been kicked
off the force years ago,
and Harrison would
still be alive.
Well, if I could go back
and change that, I would.
We could change it right now.
No, we can't.
Me getting up on the stand
and testifying against Brandt
is not gonna bring
Harrison back to life.
What's important now is that
we take care of his
family, his children,
make sure they got enough
money to live a good life.
Do you hear yourself right now?
I sound the same
as I always have.
Yeah, that's the problem.
What the hell is that
supposed to mean?
Things have changed.
This blue wall
has just got to stop.
The man is dead.
I understand that,
but I'm putting in my
papers next week, Jess.
I'm retiring.
And if I get on that stand,
they're gonna fire me for
knowing what I did about Brandt
and looking the other way.
And then what happens?
My reputation? My pension?
After 40 years on the force,
I'm gonna lose my pension?
No, I'm not doing it.
And I'm asking you as
a friend just to
just stay out of it.
[tense music]
♪
[door slams]
[knocking]
You OK?
You knew that Brandt
was dirty, didn't you?
Way back,
when I was just a uni,
there was a sergeant
in my precinct
that would take "tips" from
the local business owners.
You know, he'd
look out for them.
And my partner told me
not to say anything.
And I remember thinking,
but that's so
wrong.
And now, 20 plus years later,
when Harrison comes to me upset
that Brandt is skimming off
the busts, I say to him,
I think it would be better
if you just didn't
worry about that stuff.
And I didn't even think
about the fact that it was
wrong.
[soft dramatic music]
♪
I mean, we all let things
slide from time to time.
And I know it's an
unpopular opinion,
but I do think there's
something to be said about
cops looking out
for one another,
having each other's
back, you know?
It's not always bad,
within reason.
What is reasonable?
Where does this damn wall
begin and where does it end?
- Yeah, yeah.
- That's a tough one.
Where's your line, Vince?
When do you talk and
when do you stay quiet?
Well, if you really
want to know, I
I think about my kids,
trying to describe
the situation to them.
You know, if I don't
like how it sounds
or how I feel trying
to rationalize it,
then that's how I know
I'm doing the wrong thing.
♪
- Good night.
- Night.
[door shuts]
During your time
as his lieutenant,
were you ever aware
of accusations
of misconduct made
against the defendant?
Yes, I received several
complaints about him
failing to accurately
record the amount of cash
or other valuable items
recovered during raids.
So he stole money seized
from criminal operations
and pocketed it for himself.
Yes.
Those were the accusations, yes.
Did Jordan Harrison ever come
to you with such a complaint?
- Yes.
- Harrison was very upset.
And did you report
these complaints
to your commanding officer,
Captain Greg Stockwell?
Yes.
But no formal citation
was ever issued.
Brandt was never
investigated or sanctioned.
Why?
I take full
responsibility for that.
I'm the one that
talked Harrison out of
pursuing the matter.
Is that what Captain Stockwell
instructed you to do?
The truth is, is everybody
knew Brandt took liberties.
Nobody thought it
would go this far.
So what you're saying
is that everyone knew the
defendant was corrupt.
There's an understanding
amongst officers.
The blue wall?
Harrison couldn't stomach it.
He thought that being a good cop
meant making sure the
cops you were working with
were good too.
And, um,
I now realize he was right.
♪
[dramatic music]
♪
In the charge of murder
in the first degree,
we find the defendant,
Miles Brandt,
guilty.
Members of the jury, thank
you for your service.
You are excused.
♪
[handcuffs clicking]
[knocking]
- Greg
- Save it.
You made your choice.
Don't come around here
looking for forgiveness.
[low dramatic music]
♪
Got a visitor, Jess.
Lieutenant Brady?
Detective Jason Cassidy,
Internal Affairs.
We need to talk
about Miles Brandt.
[dramatic music]
♪
[dramatic music]
♪
[wolf howls]