Conviction (2016–2017): Season 1, Episode 6 - #StayWoke - full transcript
The accidental death of an African-American boy, shot by a cop, sparks a racial firestorm and inspires Hayes to re-examine the controversial case of Porscha Williams, an African-American civil-rights activist. Meanwhile, Maxine finds herself torn between her racial identity and her chosen profession, as she follows the case to its shocking conclusion.
[Crowd chanting "We want justice!"]
[Indistinct shouting]
[Gunshot]
[People screaming]
Woman: The latest in a long line
of racially charged incidents
occurred yesterday, rocking the city.
Last night, 15-year-old Andre Watkins
was accidentally shot
and killed by the police
as he played basketball
with his friends.
15 years old.
Just a few years older than my son.
The police believed Andre was armed
and that he'd been involved in a
robbery that occurred nearby.
He matched a description of the suspect.
Let me guess... "black" and "male".
That's a little harsh.
You weren't there.
I've been there plenty of times.
Including when you actually
committed a crime, of course.
As citizens of this great city, we
all have a choice in this moment...
Lash out or band together
in peace, in strength.
I urge every one of you,
remain calm and obey the law.
No pajamas today?
My brother let me out of the doghouse
and back into his apartment.
The bed is more comfortable
than my couch,
but I do miss walking around
the office naked.
I'm never sitting in any
of these chairs again.
On behalf of everyone
in law enforcement,
I extend our deepest
condolences to Andre's family.
Wallace might not be able to
keep the lid on this powder keg.
He can't. But we can hit it head on.
Mitchell Alan... African-American.
The prosecutor refereed to him
as "King Kong" at trial.
He got 15 years for armed robbery.
[Papers thud]
Or Levon Cartwright...
also black... shot and killed
a white trespasser
claiming self-defense,
serving 25 years,
unlike a white defendant
in a similar case
who received a suspended sentence.
- [Papers thud]
- I'm sensing a theme here.
- Oh.
- Susan Jefferson,
serving life for killing
her abusive boyfriend.
Her court-appointed lawyer
was a card-carrying member of the KKK.
What about Porscha Williams?
No. That's a bad idea.
- [Papers thud]
- If by bad you mean perfect, I agree.
Porscha Williams is
a radical black activist
serving life for murdering a white cop.
After having her trial moved out
of the city to Albany
and being found guilty by an
all-white jury in under three hours.
Just because they were white
doesn't mean they were wrong.
She was seen shooting an NYPD officer
when her peace rally turned into a riot.
[Scoffs] A riot, a riot.
Why do I feel like if it was
a group of white people,
you'd be calling it a demonstration?
Call it what you will, the demonstrators
did not cooperate with the police.
Who showed up in riot gear like
a bunch of storm troopers.
Have you ever been hit
with a rock or a bottle?
It hurts no matter what race
is throwing it at you.
- That's...
- Could we all please just...
What, get along? Hell no.
This is more fun, more honest,
more productive.
It's a case, not a conversation starter.
It can be both.
A black teenager was just killed
by the cops.
Do we really want to take on
something so racially charged?
The city needs to know that the
CIU is fighting for justice,
which is supposed to be blind
but is clearly not color-blind.
Porscha's case gets another look.
Porscha Williams organized a rally to
protest racial inequality six years ago.
Sergeant Kelsey Blake
was among the officers
assigned to crowd control.
Things got heated between
Porscha's group and the cops.
There was some shouting, pushing.
A shot was fired.
Sergeant Kelsey Blake died at the scene.
An eyewitness, Charlie Rossmore,
testified that he saw Porscha
fire the shot
that killed Sergeant Blake.
Three other eyewitnesses...
Jin Lee, Marcus Rodriguez,
and George Stayner...
say they saw a gun in her hand.
Just because they said that
doesn't make it true.
Porscha had no criminal history.
She was committed to nonviolent protest,
and the gun and bullet were never found.
Sergeant Blake was shot
with a 9 millimeter.
Porscha owned a 9 millimeter.
She had gunshot residue on her hands
and obviously a temper.
Everyone's picking a side.
What about you?
The only side I'm on is the truth.
Still, out of 150 potential witnesses,
more than four people
should have come forward.
Welcome to the Cop's Dilemma...
Nobody wants to get involved.
What if we don't need them to want to?
I mean, the rally was during
the age of smartphones.
Meaning smartphone cameras
and Instagram, Facebook,
which means all sorts of images
from the rally
are potentially out there
waiting for us.
Wouldn't the cops have looked
at those sites?
Six years ago, NYPD was just
starting to use social media
as an investigatory tool.
I can cross-reference geo-tags
with time stamps from the metadata,
on images from the rally.
Gesundheit.
Go talk to the prosecutor.
You and I will take a run at Porscha.
♪
Truth is, I am guilty.
That was quick.
Guilty of trying to make a difference,
guilty of seeking equality,
guilty of wanting a real conversation
between the police and
the people of New York City.
But not guilty
of killing Sergeant Blake.
No, despite what 12 uptight,
angry white folks from Albany say.
Did those white folks also buy that 9m
and register it in your name?
I got rid of that gun
in a buyback program
when I found out I was pregnant,
a full year before the rally.
All I had in my hand that day
was a cellphone.
You didn't get arrested
with a cellphone.
It got knocked out of my hand.
Must have been stolen
or kicked into a subway grate.
I have a master's degree
in Social Justice
and Community Development.
I was trying to work
with law enforcement.
I saw the picture of you screaming
in Sergeant Blake's face.
Is that you working
with law enforcement?
Last year, police killed over
100 unarmed black people,
five times the number of unarmed whites.
What was I supposed to do, whisper?
Sometimes when you shout,
the message gets lost.
And when we sit quietly
in our place, they ignore us.
"They?"
Reducing white people to a monolith
sounds a little like racism to me.
Not racism, anger.
State of the world today,
all black people should have some.
A whole movement agrees with you,
grew from what you started.
I'm proud of that.
Glad to be an inspiration.
For my daughter, most of all.
How old is she?
Sophie just turned 7.
I get to see her every other week.
Only 144 hours with her
since I've been in here.
She's my inspiration.
Soon as she was born,
I knew I had to make the world better
so I don't have to worry about
my daughter's safety every second.
[Chuckles] Welcome to motherhood.
- My son is 12.
- Then you know.
We got to work twice as hard
to protect our kids,
from the cops, even.
On my little girl's life,
I swear to you,
I did not kill that woman.
Thanks.
Let me guess... small coffee
and a maple scone.
That's right. [Chuckles]
Thanks.
Thanks.
Now I know who's been leaving
all the monster tips.
Thank you.
It's like Facebook exploded
across all these monitors.
[Laughs] I'm combing through
every social-media platform
for user uploads of the rally.
EXIF data tells me when
and where they were taken.
Then the photo stitching
software goes to work,
merging images into a mosaic
of overlapping tiles.
A virtual location.
When the photo stitch is done,
hopefully, we'll have a 360 view
of the moment Sergeant Blake was shot.
Porscha Williams got a fair trial.
And as the prosecutor
who handled the case,
I don't appreciate you
insinuating otherwise.
I'm just trying to...
Accuse me of perverting justice
for the "White Cause"?
Call me a racist
for putting her in jail?
I used to be an ADA in the gang unit,
so I can relate to what
you're going through.
So why did you move trial to Albany?
Mayor didn't want race riots
dirtying up his recently scrubbed image.
And the all-white jury?
It's just that Albany
has a greater percentage
of African-Americans than New York City.
Not my fault they couldn't
afford to show up for jury duty.
You excused the three people
of color who did.
That's a potential Batson problem.
Those were legitimate pre-empts.
You suggested to the jury that
Porscha's politics were contagious,
that convicting her was crucial
to keeping their neighborhood safe.
[Scoffs] You sure you used to be a D.A.?
I put a cop killer in jail.
By playing on the jury's fear.
My job as a prosecutor is to win.
End of story.
♪
[Elevator bell dings]
How can this process be
simultaneously amazing
and unbelievably boring?
Conundrum of the Internet.
I'm gonna get some more coffee.
[Sighs]
Hey, hold up.
Isn't this Charlie Rossmore?
He's the eyewitness who saw
Porscha shoot Sergeant Blake.
What's he doing bashing a police car
around the same time
Sergeant Blake was shot?
He still could have seen the shooting.
Where was that taken?
A block away from the rally.
There's no way he could have been there
and there simultaneously.
So, Charlie Rossmore,
the one eyewitness who saw Porscha
commit the murder she's in prison for,
couldn't have seen her kill anyone.
He lied.
_
At Porscha Williams' trial,
you testified you saw
the defendant fire a handgun
in the direction of NYPD Sergeant Blake.
That's right.
Then how do you explain
this photo, Charlie?
This was taken around the corner
from the rally,
just before the shooting.
Sam: You lied under oath.
Perjury's a serious charge.
I didn't lie.
Porscha Williams murdered
that police officer.
I think you got swept up in the moment,
decided to get your rich,
white boy ya-yas out,
go Beyoncé on that cop car.
Then you heard the shot,
ran around the corner
to see what's what.
- We good so far?
- Oh, it's good for me.
The officers' notes say that you were
stopped on suspicion of vandalism?
Ooh, suddenly you're not so down
with the struggle.
While you see Sergeant Blake
dying on the ground,
pretend to be a witness to the shooting.
And give yourself the perfect alibi.
Here's the deal.
Either you go down for perjury
or you come clean right now
and tell us the truth.
Okay. [Clear throat]
[Knocks on glass]
Wait.
It's okay. It's okay.
You're right.
I was swept up and I went
to town on that squad car.
Heard a shot, and I ran over to see.
Porscha was there on the ground,
hands zip-tied.
So when the cops grabbed me
about the car...
I told them that I had seen
Porscha fire the shot.
So you lied and put
Porscha Williams in prison?
I was there for your cause,
supporting the black struggle.
Yeah.
I lied.
All right.
Well, now you're going down for perjury.
But I thought you... you said...
I lied, too.
Whoops.
Charlie Rossmore recanted.
He's the only one who testified
he saw the actual shooting.
Yeah, but other witnesses say
they saw Porscha with a weapon.
Talk to them,
see if they're still solid.
Or if they could have seen a cellphone.
Maxine, notify the victim's husband
about CIU reopening the case,
cop to cop.
Uh, you might want to go
out the loading dock.
There's a bunch of protestors out front.
[Indistinct shouting]
Oops. Knew I forgot something.
[Indistinct talking]
- We still shouldn't...
- Aren't you two cozy?
I'd introduce you,
but since you introduced us...
Good to see you, Naomi.
When did you get in from Chicago?
This morning.
Came straight from the airport.
That's how you're doing it
these days? Straight?
Depends.
You look great.
I do.
If you're here to tell me you're
taking on Porscha Williams' case,
the protestors beat you to it.
Naomi and I have work to do.
Can you get him out of this mess
with the U.S. Attorney?
The mess you caused by
tossing him under the bus
while baring your soul to Dan Harris?
I think so.
Thanks for the billable hours,
by the way.
I'll be down
in the small conference room.
Your assistant set me up there.
Stay. Hayes was just leaving.
We should get a drink
while you're in town, Naomi.
Catch up.
I'd like that.
I know this is difficult for you.
Most cops say, "It's difficult for us."
It's always hard
when one of us goes down,
but... this was your wife.
And her killer's in prison.
Why would you want to let
Porscha Williams go free?
We're just reviewing the conviction.
[Scoffs softly]
It's amazing.
This fancy new unit,
digging into old cases
for no good reason.
Tell me what happened that day.
I was covering the rear perimeter.
Kelsey was about 20 yards ahead of me
on the containment line, right up front.
So you had a good view of her.
Couldn't miss her.
All these big guys,
one petite woman right there with them.
I heard she could handle
almost anything.
Kelsey competed in Tae Kwon Do.
She almost made the Olympics.
I was looking right at her
as that murderer got in her face.
Me and the other cops from the
perimeter, we heard the shot.
But you didn't see the gun?
Kelsey, uh, she got hit in the neck,
just above the vest.
It was in and out.
Fought my way over to her,
but I could tell right away
she was bleeding out.
Told her I loved her.
And she died in my arms.
I'm so sorry for your loss.
I don't work patrol anymore.
Higher ups suggested
I move to One Police Plaza,
keep me away from those people.
"Those people"?
People who killed my wife.
I got to get back to work.
Like I said at the trial,
I was standing on the sidewalk
about 15 feet away.
At first, things were okay.
And then what happened?
Marcus: I heard glass breaking.
People started yelling, shoving.
The police went on the offensive.
They got pretty rough.
Are we talking excessive force?
No way.
Those protestors were out of control.
And the cops kept telling them
to move back,
but that crazy bitch,
she wouldn't budge.
She keep waving that gun in the air.
Could it have been a cellphone?
No. I know a gun when I see one.
Been held up a dozen times.
- Cellphone?
- Maybe, yeah.
The sun was kind of in my eyes.
She was out of her mind.
She was calling "Death to the pigs!"
I couldn't hear what she was shouting.
Was she yelling at all the cops
or Sergeant Blake specifically?
No, she was in all the cops' faces.
I just happened to take this
when she was going at Blake.
I snapped that, then I bailed.
You could just tell
it was gonna go south.
George: The things she was yelling.
You're saying Porscha
was calling for violence.
Well, it was no peace rally.
I think she brought a gun
so she could kill a cop
and get away with it.
Tess: These were all taken by
the protestors and bystanders.
No need for Big Brother...
we're already monitoring ourselves.
This is the moment Kelsey was shot.
She had no idea.
I didn't when I got hit.
You were shot?
In the leg.
I didn't feel anything
for a few seconds,
then... Whew!...
Pain like you couldn't believe.
Here's Porscha.
Wait. That's not Porscha.
It sure looks like her.
Like, so, like, somebody
could have gotten them confused?
That woman's got a clear shot
at Sergeant Blake.
So does Porscha.
I mean, that's her, right?
If we're getting them confused...
The eyewitnesses could have, too.
Whoever that is... might be our killer.
_
I had the NYPD
run our Porscha look-alike
through their advanced
facial recognition software,
and we got a hit.
Meet Layla Benson.
Hmm. Not really a look-alike after all.
What are you talking about?
What are you talking about?
- I mean, they could be sisters.
- Adopted sisters.
Oh, I so remember
this scene from "Crash."
I can't wait for Tess to pull
Frankie from an overturned car.
Cross-racial I.D.s
are notoriously difficult.
It's been scientifically proven.
Oh, so as long as there's
science behind it,
it's okay to say that we all look alike?
That's not what I'm saying.
It kind of sounds like it, though.
Regardless of this new
look-alike theory,
it doesn't explain the gunshot
residue on Porscha's hands.
I'm setting up an experiment
to test that out.
And this might help, too.
Layla Benson's got a rap sheet.
Assault, and a firearms
possession charge.
Unlicensed 9 millimeter.
I wasn't attending the protest.
I was watching the protest.
There's a difference.
Not necessarily
when you're carrying a gun.
We pulled your rap sheet, Layla.
Assaulting a woman on a crosstown bus,
carrying an illegal firearm.
Homeless woman ranting
in my face, threatening me.
It wasn't the first time, either.
Driver didn't do anything,
so I handled it.
With an unlicensed gun.
I had a license. I hadn't
realized it had expired.
So why'd you bring your piece
to the demonstration?
Truth is, I bring it everywhere.
I've been mugged three times
in the last five years.
Always by young black men.
Like the worst kind of wild animals...
Whoa. You're comfortable calling
young black men "wild animals"?
When they stop acting that way,
I'll stop calling them that.
And now the NYPD is shaking
in their boots,
afraid to even stop and frisk.
Yeah, well, without
reasonable suspicion,
it's a rights violation.
What about my right to live
in a neighborhood
where I can walk down
the street at night?
Black lives matter, huh?
What about mine?
Well, none of this alibis you
for the shooting.
When the shot was fired,
I hit the ground, broke my leg.
You could have fired the shot
before you went down.
And done what with the gun?
It would have been in my hand
when the paramedics got there.
Check it out, you'll see.
Particle count of the gunshot residue
on Porscha's hands was only 50.
Is 50 good or bad?
Shooting someone, close range like that,
GSR particles could easily top 1,000.
But it's still gunshot residue.
But at... at that level,
it could be contamination from
her time in the patrol car.
Or maybe not even GSR at all.
Watch this.
Matches contain lead
and potassium nitrate.
Both found in gunpowder.
I really thought that Layla
and Porscha looked alike.
Does that make me racist?
Nah, it makes you white.
[Chuckles]
Hey, look, your bad I.D.
didn't put Porscha away, okay?
Don't sweat it.
My aunt was murdered.
For real?
I'm sorry.
I was 12.
I walked in on it,
saw the guy who killed her.
He was tall, thin, Asian.
The police caught a guy
who matched my description,
did a lineup.
Number five walked through the door,
I knew it was him.
Mm-hmm.
Except I was wrong.
He spent five years in prison
until DNA exonerated him.
He lives in the city,
has a coffee cart uptown.
Oh, you've seen him?
I've been going there every day.
He doesn't know who I am.
Because I was a kid, I didn't
testify in open court.
I don't know what to say to him.
Penance.
Yeah, you going to law school,
working at the
Innocence Project, and now here.
You're looking for forgiveness.
There could be another way.
Ask for it.
Come here.
Check this out.
So, blue...
means nitrates...
right?
And violet...
means lead.
Together, that's a positive
for gunshot residue
at about the same particle level
on Porscha's hands.
Just from lighting the match.
Yeah.
GSR evidence is out.
Score one for Porscha.
[Both chuckle]
I hope you know what you're
doing with this case.
Wallace's image can't handle
another hit right now.
You're awfully protective of him.
He's my client.
Among other things.
When I suggested meeting for a drink,
I imagined we'd meet at a bar
or my place.
We need to talk business.
As far as Porscha Williams is concerned,
we'd like you to refrain
from making statements.
"We"?
I speak for Wallace.
Any requests he has,
he can ask me himself.
You are still not over him.
Encouraging in a way,
since you dumped me for him.
You know why he hired you?
Because I'm a fantastic lawyer
with loads of experience
dealing with these kinds of witch hunts.
And he wanted to hurt me.
Do you really think I don't know that?
It doesn't bother you,
being a pawn in our game?
Oh, I prefer to think of myself
as a player.
And no, it doesn't bother me.
You and Wallace are always...
interesting to be around.
- Hmm.
- [Chuckles]
Both of us...
Are we... equally interesting?
Well... you are the one
who caught my eye first,
historically speaking.
We should have met at your place.
It's not far away.
[Cellphone rings]
Hey. Wallace.
No, you're not interrupting anything.
On my way.
[Door opens]
Hey, Tess.
I just got ahold of the paramedics
that dealt with Layla Benson's leg.
There's no way Layla could have
been the shooter.
Maxine, this is Lance Williams,
Porscha's husband,
and their daughter, Sophie.
- Maxine Bohen.
- Nice to meet you.
It's nice to meet you, Sophie.
Lance: We were downstairs
at the protest.
Sophie wanted to meet the people
who are gonna bring her mom home.
Mr. Williams, there's no
guarantee that...
Thank you, ma'am.
Well, isn't this cozy?
The CIU didn't roll out
the red carpet for me,
but since dead cops don't matter,
why would their husbands?
Officer Blake, you shouldn't be here.
Kelsey and I wanted kids, too.
We were waiting till I passed
my sergeant's exam.
She was picking up an extra shift
when she was working that rally.
I'm sure she was a wonderful woman.
Too bad your bitch wife took her away!
- My man...
- Cool it! Both of you!
Daddy!
It's okay, Sophie.
Let's go home.
You need to stand down.
How do you sleep at night?
Getting murderers out of prison,
people you used to put away.
Someone needs to police the police.
And that had to be you?
I guess black trumps blue.
Okay, I'm gonna give you a pass
because you are grieving and drunk,
but you need to understand
that Porscha Williams
may not have killed your wife.
And you need to accept that she
isn't who she says she is.
A friend of mine owns a firing
range up in Westchester.
Your client is no MLK.
♪
[Paper crinkles]
_
Hayes: Those earrings look great
with the AK.
You got an explanation
for this, Porscha?
Don't need one.
Hayes: So you preach nonviolence,
yet here you are, armed to the teeth.
That picture was taken a long time ago.
People change.
You're such a hypocrite.
- So much for a sister having my back.
- I'm not your sister.
- No, you're not.
- You don't know me.
I know our people are fighting
a war against injustice,
and you're siding with our oppressors.
"My people" are
the 34,000 police officers
who keep the city safe.
Akai Gurly... gunned down in
the stairwell of his building.
Delrawn Small...
shot by an off-duty cop.
Tamon Robinson... killed
for stealing paving stones.
Not all cops are like that.
That's not me.
It shouldn't be. You're a black woman.
[Scoffs] Oh, you still
consider me black?
- I wasn't sure.
- With a black son.
You know he has a target on his back.
- You leave him out of this.
- And you know they won't.
No matter how much of a "House
Negro" you raise him to be.
Hayes: Maxine!
[Buzzer, door opens]
You done with me, too?
You think I killed that cop?
The evidence is stacked against you.
[Scoffs]
It must be nice...
being a white rich girl
caught with cocaine in her purse
and gets off scot-free.
Me?
The second after that shot was fired,
I was on the ground,
hands zip-tied behind my back.
Two hours facedown on the pavement,
102 degree heat,
sucking exhaust fumes
from the coroner's van.
The medical examiner's van
was there all that time?
I lost it, Dad.
The things she said,
that everyone's saying.
I don't even know who I am anymore.
You can't pay attention
to what other people say.
Do you ever worry that we're
on the wrong side?
Not for a minute.
Maybe that's the thing, though.
Maybe... Maybe there's more
than one side.
I'm a cop and a woman
and a mother and an addict.
Recovering addict.
And I'm black.
And sometimes I realize
that's all anybody sees.
Race trumps everything.
I didn't choose it, I can't escape it...
not that I'd want to.
And that's how the world sees Ashton.
[Voice breaking] I'm raising
a black boy in America.
How do I keep him safe?
Keep raising him right.
You're strong, Max.
You're bringing up a strong boy
the best you can.
That's all you can do.
What if it's not enough?
It's still there. Two hours...
Glad you're back, Maxine.
This is Dr. Kassar.
He was the M.E.
on the Kelsey Blake case.
He's trying to help us figure
out the significance of this,
from two hours after she was shot.
Why is the M.E.'s van
still on the scene?
Engine trouble.
Could the delays have affected
your findings?
No. The air-conditioning units
in our vans run on separate power.
Frankie: What if the A.C.
was on the fritz?
Once we found out
about the engine issues,
I checked the records.
A major coolant leak was found
the next day.
Middle of the summer. Middle of the day.
Two hours. Temp increase.
Doubling the rate of...
The body went directly
into cold storage.
I had no way of knowing.
Could the high temperatures
have affected your findings?
Decomposition would have
been accelerated.
There'd be changed
to the wound diameter,
at least at the surface.
Is it possible that she wasn't
killed by a 9-millimeter bullet?
No, it was definitely a 9 millimeter,
but... what I thought was the exit wound
is quite possibly the entry wound.
Porscha was standing in front
of Sergeant Blake.
Her real killer might have
been behind her.
_
The M.E. looked back
efficiency n sover everything.
What appeared to be the entry wound
was definitely the exit wound.
Whoever killed Kelsey
was standing behind her.
Porscha Williams is innocent.
Good work. Draw up release papers.
Absolutely not. Under no circumstances.
That can't happen.
She's innocent, didn't do it,
wasn't the shooter.
See, I can say the same thing
three ways, too.
We need to release Porscha.
Bigger picture.
There is no bigger picture
than an innocent woman in prison
for a crime she didn't commit.
Wallace: Hayes is right.
NYPD can sort out the rest from here.
Two smart people, one terrible decision.
Releasing Porscha without
finding the actual perpetrator
will make your office
appear incompetent.
In light of recent media events,
we can't risk that.
Instead, you risk the
demonstrations getting violent.
That's why you need to find
the real killer, quickly.
Why leave all the fun for the cops?
You know you'd rather do it yourself.
I'd forgotten how good you are.
No, you hadn't.
Frankie: Sergeant Blake and her
partner were at this intersection
to keep the crowd from spilling
off of St. Nicholas
and onto 121st.
There was a three-man
response team behind her,
including her husband, Ryan.
The crowd passed through
at approximately 1:37 p.m.
And that's when all hell broke loose.
[Crowd chanting "We want justice!"]
[Indistinct shouting]
Protestors clashed with the police.
Sergeant Blake was on
containment in the front line.
[Indistinct shouting]
Porscha and Sergeant Blake got into it.
And that's when it happened.
[Shouts indistinctly]
Stay where you are! Stay where you are!
[Gunshot]
[People screaming]
[Grunts]
Stay down! Stay down!
- No!
- Give me your hands!
No!
She was shot right here and died.
Porscha was right here,
and now we know whoever fired
the gun was over there.
What are you looking for?
The bullet.
If the cops thought Porscha did it,
then they were looking on
the wrong side of the street.
Will you hold that?
The wall was patched here.
Hello.
The ballistics on Ryan Blake's
gun came back.
The spent bullet we found
spun clockwise, to the right.
But the rifling grooves in Ryan's weapon
have a left-hand twist.
Ryan didn't shoot his wife.
The two officers standing
near him didn't, either.
NYPD keeps good records
of officers' weapons,
especially if they've been fired.
None of the guns matched.
So who else could have done it?
This is the deep background behind Ryan.
It's time-stamped one minute
before the shooting.
Hayes: Who's that near the cops?
That's George Stayner.
The doorman who testified
against Porscha?
He was a security guard back then,
had a 9 millimeter registered
to his name,
but he wasn't licensed
as an armed guard,
didn't have a carry permit.
Then why is he wearing a holster?
Hayes: An empty holster.
Looks like the rent-a-cop
might be our shooter.
George!
Remember me? This is Maxine Bohen.
On the day Sergeant Kelsey Blake
was shot, you...
[Grunts]
Stop!
- [Grunts]
- It's over!
There's nowhere to go!
[Gun cocks]
You don't want this, George.
Put the gun down. Let's talk.
It was an accident, I swear.
I know.
You were scared.
This isn't you.
George, it's not.
Talk to me.
You don't understand.
I do.
I was a cop.
When I wore the badge, it was
my duty to protect and serve.
You've been there, too.
Yeah. I didn't mean to kill anyone.
Things just kind of got crazy.
I get it.
You pulled your weapon just in case.
You were scared.
We're always scared of people
who aren't like us.
Just give me the weapon. It'll be okay.
I can't go to jail.
You got kids, George?
No.
My boy... My boy's so sweet and gentle.
He's only 12 years old.
You know what I'm scared of?
I'm scared that I'm not gonna
get to see him grow up,
that I can't keep him safe. Please.
Please let me do that, George.
[Voice breaking]
People make mistakes, right?
Yeah, and they deserve forgiveness.
Trust me.
Maxine, don't.
That's good.
That's really good, George.
Just put it on the ground.
The cops are gonna want me dead
because I killed one of theirs.
That's not true.
And the blacks in prison
are gonna kill me
for what I did to Porscha.
No.
- No!
- [Gunshot]
[Sobbing]
[Buzzer]
Sophie: Mama, mama!
[Sobs]
So good to see you!
[Laughs]
Um, give me two minutes?
- Yeah, for sure.
- Okay.
Baby, give mommy two minutes?
Okay.
Thank you.
Those things I said. I...
We both got hot. [Inhales sharply]
- You okay?
- Yeah, I just... tweaked my back.
There's a lot of people
out there waiting for you.
You'll see.
Your husband and your daughter...
They'll see what you started,
what you helped build.
Thank you.
[Laughs tearfully]
Let's get out of here!
[Buzzer, door opens]
[Sighs]
With the help of
the Conviction Integrity Unit,
Porscha Williams was released
earlier today
after being exonerated
for the 2010 murder
- of Sergeant Kelsey Blake.
- Thank you.
[Change clinks]
She reunited with her family
and was met with cheers
from the enthusiastic crowd
- of supporters gathered at the prison.
- A small coffee, please.
Many believe her incarceration
gave rise to the movement...
Thank you. Take care.
Hey, small coffee, maple scone.
Hi.
I'm Tess.
There's something I wanted to...
Well, it's about time.
I was wondering when you would
actually start a conversation.
[Coffee pours]
On me.
Least I could do
after all your crazy tips.
It's really good coffee.
[Laughs]
Nice to meet you, Tess. I'm Matty.
You from around here?
I mean, I figured
since you're here every day...
It's on my route.
Sam told me what happened with George.
You're a badass.
Seriously stupid badass.
Which calls for single-malt,
older than both of us.
[Cork pops]
You picked this case because you
wanted to start a conversation
so nothing's left unsaid.
That's right.
It's pretty easy to call for free speech
when the nastiest insults
are never hurled at you.
I've no interest in going back to a time
when white people toss around
the "N" word.
Point taken.
No, thanks.
Not a scotch fan?
I'm a drug addict.
Mm. Interesting.
You were saying?
When I was recovering from getting shot,
I got hooked on pain pills.
Been sober 19 months, 2 days.
You gonna be okay?
Gonna go be with my son.
You?
Just gonna hang here for a while.
♪ Stitched-up memories
scattered on the floor ♪
♪ Can we start again?
♪ Wasted energy, banging down the door ♪
Naomi, it's Hayes.
I just stopped by your office.
Sorry I missed you.
Kind of hoping we could pick up
where we left off the other night,
minus the glass walls.
♪ A fire starts with no regard ♪
♪ For the mess it's gonna make ♪
♪ I gave you the ♪
♪ Peace of my heart ♪
♪ Don't start a war ♪
♪ Oooh-oooh oh oh ♪
♪
♪ White flag in the air ♪
♪ Standing on the edge
of the borderline ♪
♪ Fight ain't always fair ♪
♪ Love is not a game,
it's a compromise ♪
[Indistinct shouting]
[Gunshot]
[People screaming]
Woman: The latest in a long line
of racially charged incidents
occurred yesterday, rocking the city.
Last night, 15-year-old Andre Watkins
was accidentally shot
and killed by the police
as he played basketball
with his friends.
15 years old.
Just a few years older than my son.
The police believed Andre was armed
and that he'd been involved in a
robbery that occurred nearby.
He matched a description of the suspect.
Let me guess... "black" and "male".
That's a little harsh.
You weren't there.
I've been there plenty of times.
Including when you actually
committed a crime, of course.
As citizens of this great city, we
all have a choice in this moment...
Lash out or band together
in peace, in strength.
I urge every one of you,
remain calm and obey the law.
No pajamas today?
My brother let me out of the doghouse
and back into his apartment.
The bed is more comfortable
than my couch,
but I do miss walking around
the office naked.
I'm never sitting in any
of these chairs again.
On behalf of everyone
in law enforcement,
I extend our deepest
condolences to Andre's family.
Wallace might not be able to
keep the lid on this powder keg.
He can't. But we can hit it head on.
Mitchell Alan... African-American.
The prosecutor refereed to him
as "King Kong" at trial.
He got 15 years for armed robbery.
[Papers thud]
Or Levon Cartwright...
also black... shot and killed
a white trespasser
claiming self-defense,
serving 25 years,
unlike a white defendant
in a similar case
who received a suspended sentence.
- [Papers thud]
- I'm sensing a theme here.
- Oh.
- Susan Jefferson,
serving life for killing
her abusive boyfriend.
Her court-appointed lawyer
was a card-carrying member of the KKK.
What about Porscha Williams?
No. That's a bad idea.
- [Papers thud]
- If by bad you mean perfect, I agree.
Porscha Williams is
a radical black activist
serving life for murdering a white cop.
After having her trial moved out
of the city to Albany
and being found guilty by an
all-white jury in under three hours.
Just because they were white
doesn't mean they were wrong.
She was seen shooting an NYPD officer
when her peace rally turned into a riot.
[Scoffs] A riot, a riot.
Why do I feel like if it was
a group of white people,
you'd be calling it a demonstration?
Call it what you will, the demonstrators
did not cooperate with the police.
Who showed up in riot gear like
a bunch of storm troopers.
Have you ever been hit
with a rock or a bottle?
It hurts no matter what race
is throwing it at you.
- That's...
- Could we all please just...
What, get along? Hell no.
This is more fun, more honest,
more productive.
It's a case, not a conversation starter.
It can be both.
A black teenager was just killed
by the cops.
Do we really want to take on
something so racially charged?
The city needs to know that the
CIU is fighting for justice,
which is supposed to be blind
but is clearly not color-blind.
Porscha's case gets another look.
Porscha Williams organized a rally to
protest racial inequality six years ago.
Sergeant Kelsey Blake
was among the officers
assigned to crowd control.
Things got heated between
Porscha's group and the cops.
There was some shouting, pushing.
A shot was fired.
Sergeant Kelsey Blake died at the scene.
An eyewitness, Charlie Rossmore,
testified that he saw Porscha
fire the shot
that killed Sergeant Blake.
Three other eyewitnesses...
Jin Lee, Marcus Rodriguez,
and George Stayner...
say they saw a gun in her hand.
Just because they said that
doesn't make it true.
Porscha had no criminal history.
She was committed to nonviolent protest,
and the gun and bullet were never found.
Sergeant Blake was shot
with a 9 millimeter.
Porscha owned a 9 millimeter.
She had gunshot residue on her hands
and obviously a temper.
Everyone's picking a side.
What about you?
The only side I'm on is the truth.
Still, out of 150 potential witnesses,
more than four people
should have come forward.
Welcome to the Cop's Dilemma...
Nobody wants to get involved.
What if we don't need them to want to?
I mean, the rally was during
the age of smartphones.
Meaning smartphone cameras
and Instagram, Facebook,
which means all sorts of images
from the rally
are potentially out there
waiting for us.
Wouldn't the cops have looked
at those sites?
Six years ago, NYPD was just
starting to use social media
as an investigatory tool.
I can cross-reference geo-tags
with time stamps from the metadata,
on images from the rally.
Gesundheit.
Go talk to the prosecutor.
You and I will take a run at Porscha.
♪
Truth is, I am guilty.
That was quick.
Guilty of trying to make a difference,
guilty of seeking equality,
guilty of wanting a real conversation
between the police and
the people of New York City.
But not guilty
of killing Sergeant Blake.
No, despite what 12 uptight,
angry white folks from Albany say.
Did those white folks also buy that 9m
and register it in your name?
I got rid of that gun
in a buyback program
when I found out I was pregnant,
a full year before the rally.
All I had in my hand that day
was a cellphone.
You didn't get arrested
with a cellphone.
It got knocked out of my hand.
Must have been stolen
or kicked into a subway grate.
I have a master's degree
in Social Justice
and Community Development.
I was trying to work
with law enforcement.
I saw the picture of you screaming
in Sergeant Blake's face.
Is that you working
with law enforcement?
Last year, police killed over
100 unarmed black people,
five times the number of unarmed whites.
What was I supposed to do, whisper?
Sometimes when you shout,
the message gets lost.
And when we sit quietly
in our place, they ignore us.
"They?"
Reducing white people to a monolith
sounds a little like racism to me.
Not racism, anger.
State of the world today,
all black people should have some.
A whole movement agrees with you,
grew from what you started.
I'm proud of that.
Glad to be an inspiration.
For my daughter, most of all.
How old is she?
Sophie just turned 7.
I get to see her every other week.
Only 144 hours with her
since I've been in here.
She's my inspiration.
Soon as she was born,
I knew I had to make the world better
so I don't have to worry about
my daughter's safety every second.
[Chuckles] Welcome to motherhood.
- My son is 12.
- Then you know.
We got to work twice as hard
to protect our kids,
from the cops, even.
On my little girl's life,
I swear to you,
I did not kill that woman.
Thanks.
Let me guess... small coffee
and a maple scone.
That's right. [Chuckles]
Thanks.
Thanks.
Now I know who's been leaving
all the monster tips.
Thank you.
It's like Facebook exploded
across all these monitors.
[Laughs] I'm combing through
every social-media platform
for user uploads of the rally.
EXIF data tells me when
and where they were taken.
Then the photo stitching
software goes to work,
merging images into a mosaic
of overlapping tiles.
A virtual location.
When the photo stitch is done,
hopefully, we'll have a 360 view
of the moment Sergeant Blake was shot.
Porscha Williams got a fair trial.
And as the prosecutor
who handled the case,
I don't appreciate you
insinuating otherwise.
I'm just trying to...
Accuse me of perverting justice
for the "White Cause"?
Call me a racist
for putting her in jail?
I used to be an ADA in the gang unit,
so I can relate to what
you're going through.
So why did you move trial to Albany?
Mayor didn't want race riots
dirtying up his recently scrubbed image.
And the all-white jury?
It's just that Albany
has a greater percentage
of African-Americans than New York City.
Not my fault they couldn't
afford to show up for jury duty.
You excused the three people
of color who did.
That's a potential Batson problem.
Those were legitimate pre-empts.
You suggested to the jury that
Porscha's politics were contagious,
that convicting her was crucial
to keeping their neighborhood safe.
[Scoffs] You sure you used to be a D.A.?
I put a cop killer in jail.
By playing on the jury's fear.
My job as a prosecutor is to win.
End of story.
♪
[Elevator bell dings]
How can this process be
simultaneously amazing
and unbelievably boring?
Conundrum of the Internet.
I'm gonna get some more coffee.
[Sighs]
Hey, hold up.
Isn't this Charlie Rossmore?
He's the eyewitness who saw
Porscha shoot Sergeant Blake.
What's he doing bashing a police car
around the same time
Sergeant Blake was shot?
He still could have seen the shooting.
Where was that taken?
A block away from the rally.
There's no way he could have been there
and there simultaneously.
So, Charlie Rossmore,
the one eyewitness who saw Porscha
commit the murder she's in prison for,
couldn't have seen her kill anyone.
He lied.
_
At Porscha Williams' trial,
you testified you saw
the defendant fire a handgun
in the direction of NYPD Sergeant Blake.
That's right.
Then how do you explain
this photo, Charlie?
This was taken around the corner
from the rally,
just before the shooting.
Sam: You lied under oath.
Perjury's a serious charge.
I didn't lie.
Porscha Williams murdered
that police officer.
I think you got swept up in the moment,
decided to get your rich,
white boy ya-yas out,
go Beyoncé on that cop car.
Then you heard the shot,
ran around the corner
to see what's what.
- We good so far?
- Oh, it's good for me.
The officers' notes say that you were
stopped on suspicion of vandalism?
Ooh, suddenly you're not so down
with the struggle.
While you see Sergeant Blake
dying on the ground,
pretend to be a witness to the shooting.
And give yourself the perfect alibi.
Here's the deal.
Either you go down for perjury
or you come clean right now
and tell us the truth.
Okay. [Clear throat]
[Knocks on glass]
Wait.
It's okay. It's okay.
You're right.
I was swept up and I went
to town on that squad car.
Heard a shot, and I ran over to see.
Porscha was there on the ground,
hands zip-tied.
So when the cops grabbed me
about the car...
I told them that I had seen
Porscha fire the shot.
So you lied and put
Porscha Williams in prison?
I was there for your cause,
supporting the black struggle.
Yeah.
I lied.
All right.
Well, now you're going down for perjury.
But I thought you... you said...
I lied, too.
Whoops.
Charlie Rossmore recanted.
He's the only one who testified
he saw the actual shooting.
Yeah, but other witnesses say
they saw Porscha with a weapon.
Talk to them,
see if they're still solid.
Or if they could have seen a cellphone.
Maxine, notify the victim's husband
about CIU reopening the case,
cop to cop.
Uh, you might want to go
out the loading dock.
There's a bunch of protestors out front.
[Indistinct shouting]
Oops. Knew I forgot something.
[Indistinct talking]
- We still shouldn't...
- Aren't you two cozy?
I'd introduce you,
but since you introduced us...
Good to see you, Naomi.
When did you get in from Chicago?
This morning.
Came straight from the airport.
That's how you're doing it
these days? Straight?
Depends.
You look great.
I do.
If you're here to tell me you're
taking on Porscha Williams' case,
the protestors beat you to it.
Naomi and I have work to do.
Can you get him out of this mess
with the U.S. Attorney?
The mess you caused by
tossing him under the bus
while baring your soul to Dan Harris?
I think so.
Thanks for the billable hours,
by the way.
I'll be down
in the small conference room.
Your assistant set me up there.
Stay. Hayes was just leaving.
We should get a drink
while you're in town, Naomi.
Catch up.
I'd like that.
I know this is difficult for you.
Most cops say, "It's difficult for us."
It's always hard
when one of us goes down,
but... this was your wife.
And her killer's in prison.
Why would you want to let
Porscha Williams go free?
We're just reviewing the conviction.
[Scoffs softly]
It's amazing.
This fancy new unit,
digging into old cases
for no good reason.
Tell me what happened that day.
I was covering the rear perimeter.
Kelsey was about 20 yards ahead of me
on the containment line, right up front.
So you had a good view of her.
Couldn't miss her.
All these big guys,
one petite woman right there with them.
I heard she could handle
almost anything.
Kelsey competed in Tae Kwon Do.
She almost made the Olympics.
I was looking right at her
as that murderer got in her face.
Me and the other cops from the
perimeter, we heard the shot.
But you didn't see the gun?
Kelsey, uh, she got hit in the neck,
just above the vest.
It was in and out.
Fought my way over to her,
but I could tell right away
she was bleeding out.
Told her I loved her.
And she died in my arms.
I'm so sorry for your loss.
I don't work patrol anymore.
Higher ups suggested
I move to One Police Plaza,
keep me away from those people.
"Those people"?
People who killed my wife.
I got to get back to work.
Like I said at the trial,
I was standing on the sidewalk
about 15 feet away.
At first, things were okay.
And then what happened?
Marcus: I heard glass breaking.
People started yelling, shoving.
The police went on the offensive.
They got pretty rough.
Are we talking excessive force?
No way.
Those protestors were out of control.
And the cops kept telling them
to move back,
but that crazy bitch,
she wouldn't budge.
She keep waving that gun in the air.
Could it have been a cellphone?
No. I know a gun when I see one.
Been held up a dozen times.
- Cellphone?
- Maybe, yeah.
The sun was kind of in my eyes.
She was out of her mind.
She was calling "Death to the pigs!"
I couldn't hear what she was shouting.
Was she yelling at all the cops
or Sergeant Blake specifically?
No, she was in all the cops' faces.
I just happened to take this
when she was going at Blake.
I snapped that, then I bailed.
You could just tell
it was gonna go south.
George: The things she was yelling.
You're saying Porscha
was calling for violence.
Well, it was no peace rally.
I think she brought a gun
so she could kill a cop
and get away with it.
Tess: These were all taken by
the protestors and bystanders.
No need for Big Brother...
we're already monitoring ourselves.
This is the moment Kelsey was shot.
She had no idea.
I didn't when I got hit.
You were shot?
In the leg.
I didn't feel anything
for a few seconds,
then... Whew!...
Pain like you couldn't believe.
Here's Porscha.
Wait. That's not Porscha.
It sure looks like her.
Like, so, like, somebody
could have gotten them confused?
That woman's got a clear shot
at Sergeant Blake.
So does Porscha.
I mean, that's her, right?
If we're getting them confused...
The eyewitnesses could have, too.
Whoever that is... might be our killer.
_
I had the NYPD
run our Porscha look-alike
through their advanced
facial recognition software,
and we got a hit.
Meet Layla Benson.
Hmm. Not really a look-alike after all.
What are you talking about?
What are you talking about?
- I mean, they could be sisters.
- Adopted sisters.
Oh, I so remember
this scene from "Crash."
I can't wait for Tess to pull
Frankie from an overturned car.
Cross-racial I.D.s
are notoriously difficult.
It's been scientifically proven.
Oh, so as long as there's
science behind it,
it's okay to say that we all look alike?
That's not what I'm saying.
It kind of sounds like it, though.
Regardless of this new
look-alike theory,
it doesn't explain the gunshot
residue on Porscha's hands.
I'm setting up an experiment
to test that out.
And this might help, too.
Layla Benson's got a rap sheet.
Assault, and a firearms
possession charge.
Unlicensed 9 millimeter.
I wasn't attending the protest.
I was watching the protest.
There's a difference.
Not necessarily
when you're carrying a gun.
We pulled your rap sheet, Layla.
Assaulting a woman on a crosstown bus,
carrying an illegal firearm.
Homeless woman ranting
in my face, threatening me.
It wasn't the first time, either.
Driver didn't do anything,
so I handled it.
With an unlicensed gun.
I had a license. I hadn't
realized it had expired.
So why'd you bring your piece
to the demonstration?
Truth is, I bring it everywhere.
I've been mugged three times
in the last five years.
Always by young black men.
Like the worst kind of wild animals...
Whoa. You're comfortable calling
young black men "wild animals"?
When they stop acting that way,
I'll stop calling them that.
And now the NYPD is shaking
in their boots,
afraid to even stop and frisk.
Yeah, well, without
reasonable suspicion,
it's a rights violation.
What about my right to live
in a neighborhood
where I can walk down
the street at night?
Black lives matter, huh?
What about mine?
Well, none of this alibis you
for the shooting.
When the shot was fired,
I hit the ground, broke my leg.
You could have fired the shot
before you went down.
And done what with the gun?
It would have been in my hand
when the paramedics got there.
Check it out, you'll see.
Particle count of the gunshot residue
on Porscha's hands was only 50.
Is 50 good or bad?
Shooting someone, close range like that,
GSR particles could easily top 1,000.
But it's still gunshot residue.
But at... at that level,
it could be contamination from
her time in the patrol car.
Or maybe not even GSR at all.
Watch this.
Matches contain lead
and potassium nitrate.
Both found in gunpowder.
I really thought that Layla
and Porscha looked alike.
Does that make me racist?
Nah, it makes you white.
[Chuckles]
Hey, look, your bad I.D.
didn't put Porscha away, okay?
Don't sweat it.
My aunt was murdered.
For real?
I'm sorry.
I was 12.
I walked in on it,
saw the guy who killed her.
He was tall, thin, Asian.
The police caught a guy
who matched my description,
did a lineup.
Number five walked through the door,
I knew it was him.
Mm-hmm.
Except I was wrong.
He spent five years in prison
until DNA exonerated him.
He lives in the city,
has a coffee cart uptown.
Oh, you've seen him?
I've been going there every day.
He doesn't know who I am.
Because I was a kid, I didn't
testify in open court.
I don't know what to say to him.
Penance.
Yeah, you going to law school,
working at the
Innocence Project, and now here.
You're looking for forgiveness.
There could be another way.
Ask for it.
Come here.
Check this out.
So, blue...
means nitrates...
right?
And violet...
means lead.
Together, that's a positive
for gunshot residue
at about the same particle level
on Porscha's hands.
Just from lighting the match.
Yeah.
GSR evidence is out.
Score one for Porscha.
[Both chuckle]
I hope you know what you're
doing with this case.
Wallace's image can't handle
another hit right now.
You're awfully protective of him.
He's my client.
Among other things.
When I suggested meeting for a drink,
I imagined we'd meet at a bar
or my place.
We need to talk business.
As far as Porscha Williams is concerned,
we'd like you to refrain
from making statements.
"We"?
I speak for Wallace.
Any requests he has,
he can ask me himself.
You are still not over him.
Encouraging in a way,
since you dumped me for him.
You know why he hired you?
Because I'm a fantastic lawyer
with loads of experience
dealing with these kinds of witch hunts.
And he wanted to hurt me.
Do you really think I don't know that?
It doesn't bother you,
being a pawn in our game?
Oh, I prefer to think of myself
as a player.
And no, it doesn't bother me.
You and Wallace are always...
interesting to be around.
- Hmm.
- [Chuckles]
Both of us...
Are we... equally interesting?
Well... you are the one
who caught my eye first,
historically speaking.
We should have met at your place.
It's not far away.
[Cellphone rings]
Hey. Wallace.
No, you're not interrupting anything.
On my way.
[Door opens]
Hey, Tess.
I just got ahold of the paramedics
that dealt with Layla Benson's leg.
There's no way Layla could have
been the shooter.
Maxine, this is Lance Williams,
Porscha's husband,
and their daughter, Sophie.
- Maxine Bohen.
- Nice to meet you.
It's nice to meet you, Sophie.
Lance: We were downstairs
at the protest.
Sophie wanted to meet the people
who are gonna bring her mom home.
Mr. Williams, there's no
guarantee that...
Thank you, ma'am.
Well, isn't this cozy?
The CIU didn't roll out
the red carpet for me,
but since dead cops don't matter,
why would their husbands?
Officer Blake, you shouldn't be here.
Kelsey and I wanted kids, too.
We were waiting till I passed
my sergeant's exam.
She was picking up an extra shift
when she was working that rally.
I'm sure she was a wonderful woman.
Too bad your bitch wife took her away!
- My man...
- Cool it! Both of you!
Daddy!
It's okay, Sophie.
Let's go home.
You need to stand down.
How do you sleep at night?
Getting murderers out of prison,
people you used to put away.
Someone needs to police the police.
And that had to be you?
I guess black trumps blue.
Okay, I'm gonna give you a pass
because you are grieving and drunk,
but you need to understand
that Porscha Williams
may not have killed your wife.
And you need to accept that she
isn't who she says she is.
A friend of mine owns a firing
range up in Westchester.
Your client is no MLK.
♪
[Paper crinkles]
_
Hayes: Those earrings look great
with the AK.
You got an explanation
for this, Porscha?
Don't need one.
Hayes: So you preach nonviolence,
yet here you are, armed to the teeth.
That picture was taken a long time ago.
People change.
You're such a hypocrite.
- So much for a sister having my back.
- I'm not your sister.
- No, you're not.
- You don't know me.
I know our people are fighting
a war against injustice,
and you're siding with our oppressors.
"My people" are
the 34,000 police officers
who keep the city safe.
Akai Gurly... gunned down in
the stairwell of his building.
Delrawn Small...
shot by an off-duty cop.
Tamon Robinson... killed
for stealing paving stones.
Not all cops are like that.
That's not me.
It shouldn't be. You're a black woman.
[Scoffs] Oh, you still
consider me black?
- I wasn't sure.
- With a black son.
You know he has a target on his back.
- You leave him out of this.
- And you know they won't.
No matter how much of a "House
Negro" you raise him to be.
Hayes: Maxine!
[Buzzer, door opens]
You done with me, too?
You think I killed that cop?
The evidence is stacked against you.
[Scoffs]
It must be nice...
being a white rich girl
caught with cocaine in her purse
and gets off scot-free.
Me?
The second after that shot was fired,
I was on the ground,
hands zip-tied behind my back.
Two hours facedown on the pavement,
102 degree heat,
sucking exhaust fumes
from the coroner's van.
The medical examiner's van
was there all that time?
I lost it, Dad.
The things she said,
that everyone's saying.
I don't even know who I am anymore.
You can't pay attention
to what other people say.
Do you ever worry that we're
on the wrong side?
Not for a minute.
Maybe that's the thing, though.
Maybe... Maybe there's more
than one side.
I'm a cop and a woman
and a mother and an addict.
Recovering addict.
And I'm black.
And sometimes I realize
that's all anybody sees.
Race trumps everything.
I didn't choose it, I can't escape it...
not that I'd want to.
And that's how the world sees Ashton.
[Voice breaking] I'm raising
a black boy in America.
How do I keep him safe?
Keep raising him right.
You're strong, Max.
You're bringing up a strong boy
the best you can.
That's all you can do.
What if it's not enough?
It's still there. Two hours...
Glad you're back, Maxine.
This is Dr. Kassar.
He was the M.E.
on the Kelsey Blake case.
He's trying to help us figure
out the significance of this,
from two hours after she was shot.
Why is the M.E.'s van
still on the scene?
Engine trouble.
Could the delays have affected
your findings?
No. The air-conditioning units
in our vans run on separate power.
Frankie: What if the A.C.
was on the fritz?
Once we found out
about the engine issues,
I checked the records.
A major coolant leak was found
the next day.
Middle of the summer. Middle of the day.
Two hours. Temp increase.
Doubling the rate of...
The body went directly
into cold storage.
I had no way of knowing.
Could the high temperatures
have affected your findings?
Decomposition would have
been accelerated.
There'd be changed
to the wound diameter,
at least at the surface.
Is it possible that she wasn't
killed by a 9-millimeter bullet?
No, it was definitely a 9 millimeter,
but... what I thought was the exit wound
is quite possibly the entry wound.
Porscha was standing in front
of Sergeant Blake.
Her real killer might have
been behind her.
_
The M.E. looked back
efficiency n sover everything.
What appeared to be the entry wound
was definitely the exit wound.
Whoever killed Kelsey
was standing behind her.
Porscha Williams is innocent.
Good work. Draw up release papers.
Absolutely not. Under no circumstances.
That can't happen.
She's innocent, didn't do it,
wasn't the shooter.
See, I can say the same thing
three ways, too.
We need to release Porscha.
Bigger picture.
There is no bigger picture
than an innocent woman in prison
for a crime she didn't commit.
Wallace: Hayes is right.
NYPD can sort out the rest from here.
Two smart people, one terrible decision.
Releasing Porscha without
finding the actual perpetrator
will make your office
appear incompetent.
In light of recent media events,
we can't risk that.
Instead, you risk the
demonstrations getting violent.
That's why you need to find
the real killer, quickly.
Why leave all the fun for the cops?
You know you'd rather do it yourself.
I'd forgotten how good you are.
No, you hadn't.
Frankie: Sergeant Blake and her
partner were at this intersection
to keep the crowd from spilling
off of St. Nicholas
and onto 121st.
There was a three-man
response team behind her,
including her husband, Ryan.
The crowd passed through
at approximately 1:37 p.m.
And that's when all hell broke loose.
[Crowd chanting "We want justice!"]
[Indistinct shouting]
Protestors clashed with the police.
Sergeant Blake was on
containment in the front line.
[Indistinct shouting]
Porscha and Sergeant Blake got into it.
And that's when it happened.
[Shouts indistinctly]
Stay where you are! Stay where you are!
[Gunshot]
[People screaming]
[Grunts]
Stay down! Stay down!
- No!
- Give me your hands!
No!
She was shot right here and died.
Porscha was right here,
and now we know whoever fired
the gun was over there.
What are you looking for?
The bullet.
If the cops thought Porscha did it,
then they were looking on
the wrong side of the street.
Will you hold that?
The wall was patched here.
Hello.
The ballistics on Ryan Blake's
gun came back.
The spent bullet we found
spun clockwise, to the right.
But the rifling grooves in Ryan's weapon
have a left-hand twist.
Ryan didn't shoot his wife.
The two officers standing
near him didn't, either.
NYPD keeps good records
of officers' weapons,
especially if they've been fired.
None of the guns matched.
So who else could have done it?
This is the deep background behind Ryan.
It's time-stamped one minute
before the shooting.
Hayes: Who's that near the cops?
That's George Stayner.
The doorman who testified
against Porscha?
He was a security guard back then,
had a 9 millimeter registered
to his name,
but he wasn't licensed
as an armed guard,
didn't have a carry permit.
Then why is he wearing a holster?
Hayes: An empty holster.
Looks like the rent-a-cop
might be our shooter.
George!
Remember me? This is Maxine Bohen.
On the day Sergeant Kelsey Blake
was shot, you...
[Grunts]
Stop!
- [Grunts]
- It's over!
There's nowhere to go!
[Gun cocks]
You don't want this, George.
Put the gun down. Let's talk.
It was an accident, I swear.
I know.
You were scared.
This isn't you.
George, it's not.
Talk to me.
You don't understand.
I do.
I was a cop.
When I wore the badge, it was
my duty to protect and serve.
You've been there, too.
Yeah. I didn't mean to kill anyone.
Things just kind of got crazy.
I get it.
You pulled your weapon just in case.
You were scared.
We're always scared of people
who aren't like us.
Just give me the weapon. It'll be okay.
I can't go to jail.
You got kids, George?
No.
My boy... My boy's so sweet and gentle.
He's only 12 years old.
You know what I'm scared of?
I'm scared that I'm not gonna
get to see him grow up,
that I can't keep him safe. Please.
Please let me do that, George.
[Voice breaking]
People make mistakes, right?
Yeah, and they deserve forgiveness.
Trust me.
Maxine, don't.
That's good.
That's really good, George.
Just put it on the ground.
The cops are gonna want me dead
because I killed one of theirs.
That's not true.
And the blacks in prison
are gonna kill me
for what I did to Porscha.
No.
- No!
- [Gunshot]
[Sobbing]
[Buzzer]
Sophie: Mama, mama!
[Sobs]
So good to see you!
[Laughs]
Um, give me two minutes?
- Yeah, for sure.
- Okay.
Baby, give mommy two minutes?
Okay.
Thank you.
Those things I said. I...
We both got hot. [Inhales sharply]
- You okay?
- Yeah, I just... tweaked my back.
There's a lot of people
out there waiting for you.
You'll see.
Your husband and your daughter...
They'll see what you started,
what you helped build.
Thank you.
[Laughs tearfully]
Let's get out of here!
[Buzzer, door opens]
[Sighs]
With the help of
the Conviction Integrity Unit,
Porscha Williams was released
earlier today
after being exonerated
for the 2010 murder
- of Sergeant Kelsey Blake.
- Thank you.
[Change clinks]
She reunited with her family
and was met with cheers
from the enthusiastic crowd
- of supporters gathered at the prison.
- A small coffee, please.
Many believe her incarceration
gave rise to the movement...
Thank you. Take care.
Hey, small coffee, maple scone.
Hi.
I'm Tess.
There's something I wanted to...
Well, it's about time.
I was wondering when you would
actually start a conversation.
[Coffee pours]
On me.
Least I could do
after all your crazy tips.
It's really good coffee.
[Laughs]
Nice to meet you, Tess. I'm Matty.
You from around here?
I mean, I figured
since you're here every day...
It's on my route.
Sam told me what happened with George.
You're a badass.
Seriously stupid badass.
Which calls for single-malt,
older than both of us.
[Cork pops]
You picked this case because you
wanted to start a conversation
so nothing's left unsaid.
That's right.
It's pretty easy to call for free speech
when the nastiest insults
are never hurled at you.
I've no interest in going back to a time
when white people toss around
the "N" word.
Point taken.
No, thanks.
Not a scotch fan?
I'm a drug addict.
Mm. Interesting.
You were saying?
When I was recovering from getting shot,
I got hooked on pain pills.
Been sober 19 months, 2 days.
You gonna be okay?
Gonna go be with my son.
You?
Just gonna hang here for a while.
♪ Stitched-up memories
scattered on the floor ♪
♪ Can we start again?
♪ Wasted energy, banging down the door ♪
Naomi, it's Hayes.
I just stopped by your office.
Sorry I missed you.
Kind of hoping we could pick up
where we left off the other night,
minus the glass walls.
♪ A fire starts with no regard ♪
♪ For the mess it's gonna make ♪
♪ I gave you the ♪
♪ Peace of my heart ♪
♪ Don't start a war ♪
♪ Oooh-oooh oh oh ♪
♪
♪ White flag in the air ♪
♪ Standing on the edge
of the borderline ♪
♪ Fight ain't always fair ♪
♪ Love is not a game,
it's a compromise ♪