For Life (2020–…): Season 2, Episode 10 - Andy Josiah - full transcript
His name was Andy Josiah.
Husband to Elaine,
father to Marcel and Lailah.
He shot him in the back.
In front of his son.
And fought like hell.
That's what we need to do.
Okay. How?
Appoint a special prosecutor.
Aaron Wallace.
I need people I can trust.
And that's you and Henry.
People are saying
they have no faith
in your ability to deliver
justice for Mr. Josiah.
You need more
of a presence here.
Let me make some calls.
I gotta win this, Marie.
No matter what.
Captions by VITAC...
Here's what I can tell
you about Aaron Wallace.
If it weren't for
him, I'd be sitting in
a jail cell at Bellmore.
We were rotting in there,
ready to catch the Covid,
until he showed up.
He never forgot.
And he never gave up on us.
And that's why we're free.
354 of us, he got out.
So I don't want to
hear anybody saying
they don't know
what his agenda is.
His agenda is to help people.
That's who Aaron Wallace is.
Been too long, my friend.
Yeah. I know, I'm
sorry, I've been...
Da-da-da-da-da.
I'm not trying to
lay no guilt on you.
Just good to see
you, man, that's all.
I saw the video
Hassanand the guys made.
He said you organized it.
I saw them beating
you up out there,
and I figured it was time
for the brothers to step up,
say what's what.
It was nice seeing everybody
like that, man...
You know, doing so
well on the outside.
How about you,
man? How you doing?
You know? You
still got security?
No. Only around
the house. For Marie.
I'm not having
anybody in uniform
following me around all day.
Yeah.
Listen, you know, if
you need my kinda help,
just say the word.
No. No. I'm good.
Trial starts tomorrow.
It'll be over soon.
Aa-ron. Takin' it to the Man.
I saw Marcel yesterday.
He's starting to
whoop me at chess.
And Lailah, man...
she keeps growing.
I keep watching the
home videos of you.
Think about you
all the time, man.
I can't promise
you anything, Andy.
Not in this world.
Except I'm gonna give
you everything I got.
I know that what happened
to Andy Josiah was wrong.
And Special Prosecutor
Aaron Wallace and his team
have determined what
charges should be brought
and against whom.
Full transparency
and a fair trial
is what I promised.
I understand that tensions
are very high right now,
but as the trial of
Officer Lindsley begins,
I ask for calm no matter what
happens in the coming days.
All rise!
The People vs. Edgar
Lindsley on the charges of.
Manslaughter in the First Degree
and Criminally
Negligent Homicide.
Because of the pandemic,
we have determined that
the jury will be sequestered
and observe the
proceedings on video feeds.
Everyone in attendance
has tested
negative for the virus
and will self-quarantine
during the length of the trial.
Given the significant
public interest in this case,
we will live-stream
the proceedings
on the Office of Court
Administration website.
Mr. Wallace, opening statement?
It's a Tuesday night,
and a man has a
very important errand.
His wife has a craving for
mint chocolate chip ice cream.
The man loves his wife,
and he wants her to be happy,
especially since
they have a new baby
and the cravings
from her pregnancy,
they... they just
haven't gone away yet.
As the man grabs his car keys,
his 7-year-old son
begs to come with him.
Now, this father is good.
He's loving, kind, and
knows what his son needs.
The drive will give him a chance
to convey some life lessons.
That the world doesn't
revolve around the boy
and that he's gonna
have to learn how to share.
So they head off
on their adventure.
The corner store.
They have their talk,
they get their ice cream,
and they're on their way home.
But the boy forgot
Tank... his favorite toy...
Back at the store.
Now, the father
doesn't scold his son.
It's not his style.
He says "no sweat,"
turns the car around.
Two minutes later, the
man was pulled over.
Six minutes later,
he's shot in the back.
Unarmed.
No criminal record.
That man's name was Andy Josiah,
and this is who he was.
Now, this is gonna be a dunk.
I want you to hang on the net
for a little while, alright?
You got that, babe?
Ready? Let's dunk.
Ha!
Yay!
We got it. We got it?
You see him? That's my son.
My son, my son. Mwah!
You want to put...
put more sauce on?
More sauce, more sauce.
Just a little bit. Alright.
You're doing the right thing.
And no matter how
they look at you,
you get up on that stand,
and you speak your truth.
And remember, you
got the surveillance video
corroborating
everything you say.
Officer Matranga, I have
here the police report
from that evening that
you wrote and signed.
Can you tell me what it says
about why you
stopped Andy Josiah?
It says we pulled him
over because he was
talking on his cellphone.
But you said earlier it was
because of an illegal U-turn.
Why did your account change?
When Lieutenant Diaz
arrived on the scene
and he started asking questions,
he told me to change our story.
Were there other
things in your account
that Lieutenant Diaz told
you to change for your report?
Everything in that report
is different from
what really happened.
If we may, Your Honor,
we have video surveillance
footage we'd like to play.
The Defense will have to
object to this, Your Honor.
This video footage has not
been properly authenticated.
It's security footage from a
camera owned by Sherwin Maloof,
who's presently in Iran,
but he did authenticate
it already once
during the grand jury.
He went to Iran?
One of the worst hit
Covid areas in the world?
He has sick family
there, Your Honor.
It was a sudden decision and
one we have no control over.
Is that so?
Because we subpoenaed
Mr. Maloof's text records
and discovered
a curious correspondence
between him and Safiya Masry.
In one of their most
recent exchanges,
Mr. Maloof wrote
"Safe in Tehran.
Thank you for letting me go."
I couldn't find
Mr. Maloof in Tehran,
but I did get an
affidavit from his wife,
who stated it was Ms.
Masry... Is this true?
Who suggested her husband leave
the country. He was never gonna testify.
It was the only way.
Ms. Masry?
The witness was terrified
to testify against the police
because he'd been
arrested on a petty charge
designed to intimidate him.
I did tell him that
having authenticated
the video at the
Grand Jury stage,
a court would likely
still admit the video
even if he was unavailable.
I should also note
that neither Mr. Roswell
nor Mr. Wallace were aware of
my conversation with Mr. Maloof.
Whether or not her
co-counsels knew,
Ms. Masry basically
told the witness to flee.
If the prosecution
procured his unavailability,
the Court can't possibly
allow the video into evidence.
No. Clearly.
I cannot imagine what you
were thinking, Ms. Masry,
but the court will be
excluding the video.
I don't know how you could
do that without telling us.
Come on, Henry, you know
you both needed deniability.
No one's gonna
believe us anyway.
We needed to
decide this together.
Maybe I should step down.
Clear the air for you two.
And how do you think
that's gonna look for the jury?
When they get back,
suddenly you're gone?
We need to focus on Matranga.
Where's his head?
Without that video, it's
his word against theirs.
Maybe we should
adjourn till tomorrow.
No. We give him any more
time to think, he's gonna fold.
We need to throw him
up there and let him finish.
Officer Matranga,
you testified earlier
that when Officer Lindsley
sent you back to the squad car
to run Andy's license,
that you were nervous.
That's right.
Why was that?
I was afraid the
situation might escalate.
But you said you observed
Andy being compliant.
I wasn't worried about him.
So you were concerned
about Officer Lindsley?
Well, I'd seen him
use f-force at times
I didn't think was necessary.
On how many occasions?
At least half a dozen.
If he was amped up.
Was he amped up the
night he shot Andy Josiah?
We all were. I mean,
he was especially.
And why was that?
Because of the protests.
So, do you think he was
looking for somewhere
to put that amped-up energy?
I don't know. I hope not.
No further questions,
Your Honor.
Officer Matranga,
how long did you work
with Officer
Lindsley as partners?
Almost two years.
And over the
course of two years,
did you ever report
Mr. Lindsley to your superior?
No.
Did you ever express
any reservations about
working with him or ask
for a new assignment?
No.
Did the prosecution
offer you immunity
to testify today?
I'm testifying
because my part...
Yes or no.
Were you offered immunity in
exchange for your testimony?
Yes.
So after two years
of saying nothing
about a partner who supposedly
has concerning behavior,
now that it benefits
you, you're willing to say
almost anything
to save yourself?
I am telling the truth.
Then let me ask you this.
At what point during the evening
did you believe Officer Lindsley
was violating police protocol?
Was it when you went back
to the car and said nothing?
Or was it when you were
in the car, doing nothing?
I'll ask you this then.
As per your police
protocol, if you were the one
who asked Mr. Josiah
to get out of the car,
if you were the one
standing five feet away
when he reached into a car,
can you know for certain
what you would have done?
No.
Maybe we go back to
Diaz and offer him a deal.
Without the video of
him harassing Sherwin,
he'll laugh in our faces.
What about trying to
get Sherwin back here?
It's worth a try.
It's fruit from a
poisonous tree now, Saf.
Forget it.
We find something
in Lindsley's past.
One of the other incidents.
We... We show a pattern.
Unless we find an incident
where he shot someone,
Judge is never gonna
let us walk down that road.
Maybe we try and
say it's something racial
and show it was a hate crime?
That's a whole other charge.
We're not going back to a
third Grand Jury, Charlotte.
You're just gonna sit there
and say no to everything?
I'm not gonna pitch bad
ideas just 'cause we're losing.
If you ask me, I say we...
We leak the video to the press,
make sure the jury sees it.
No.
I'm not putting that
lynching porn on the Internet
for Marcel and his
sister to grow up
watching their
father get murdered.
Well, how about calling
Marcel to the stand?
I'm almost afraid to mention it
'cause you're too
close to that family,
and everybody in this room
knows we got no choice now.
Alright. I'm gonna
get some fresh air.
Aaron.
Aaron.
I blew it.
I blew the whole thing.
Aaron? What?
I'm... I'm sorry.
That didn't come out
the way I wanted it to.
Aaron Wallace?
Big man.
Righteous man.
You got... You got a problem?
Nah, nah, I think
he does, though.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, easy!
Easy! Easy! Easy! Easy!
Blue Lives Matter!
Henry!
What happened?!
Call an ambulance!
He's been shot!
He's bleeding bad!
We need something to wrap
it! Charlotte, get some towels!
Are you all right?
Yeah. You're gonna
be okay, Henry.
We got you. We got you.
Aaron!
What do the doctors say?
He's still in the O.R.My God.
When I first heard,
I thought I lost you.
I know. I know.
Did you talk to Jazz?
Yeah. She's okay.
She knows I'm all right.
The gunman's apparent
target was Aaron Wallace,
who's angered conservative
groups who believe
he's on a crusade
to destroy the NYPD.
Once again, Special
Prosecutor Aaron Wallace
appears to have been
the intended target.
He stepped in front of me.
He took a bullet for me.
Hey, Elaine.
Is everything all right?
Yeah, I'm fine. And so is Henry.
My God. This is
I know.
So, what happens now?
The Judge will
give us a mistrial.
We can start over
in a few months.
We get Henry back, regroup,
and hopefully this
whole thing dies down.
No. It won't.
And you can't give
that young cop a chance
to change his story again.
The thing is, Elaine
is we're losing.
Pretty bad.
So without that video...
That's why you're gonna
put Marcel on the stand.
We didn't want to do that.
Andy is never
coming back, Aaron.
If anything is
gonna break Marcel,
it's gonna be not
having his father.
Marcel can testify that
Andy wasn't arguing.
He can also tell the jury
that that man
pointed a gun at him.
We've come this far.
We gotta finish this now.
I didn't want it
to come to this.
I put you in this position.
You haven't seen your
kids in over a month.
I know what you've
sacrificed to do this with me.
Give me a minute.
How's Henry doing?
He'll be out of
commission for a while,
but... seems like
he'll be all right.
I know how close you two are.
I heard you had
some issues, too.
Nothing like that.
Just hate mail.
Yeah. People are
having a hard time
figuring out what it
is you're doing here.
There can't be any doubt
in your mind he's a racist.
And that he shot
Andy in cold blood.
As a matter of fact,
I do have doubt.
And he deserves the benefit
of that, like anyone else.
He had plenty of
lawyers to choose from,
so it wasn't exactly your
civic duty to take this on.
So if a Black
woman does anything
outside of your rulebook,
she's a race traitor.
It's got nothing to do
with you being a woman.
If a Black woman's literally
not walking behind the coffin,
holding a handkerchief, with
her head down in deference...
You representing him...
burn her at the stake.
Condones what he did. Period.
Do you know how many
Black women were beaten,
shot, arrested the same
week as Andy Josiah?
Why don't you take
one of their cases?
There was a Black woman
who was killed in her
own home by cops.
I don't see the outrage for her.
Where's her burning buildings?
I'm sorry about what
happened to you,
and I respect what
you've done for yourself.
I don't think it's too much
to expect the same from you.
We are reconvening today
under very extreme circumstances.
If the prosecution would
like an adjournment,
the court would of
course be amenable.
Thank you, Your Honor.
We're ready to proceed.
Then present your
next witness, please.
You ready, Big Man?
If I tell you, will
this man go to jail?
You just tell the judge
everything you know,
and I'll do my job, alright?
Alright.
The People call Marcel Josiah.
I'm sure the Attorney General's
office will give you a call,
but I just heard that
they arrested the guy
who shot Roswell.
Who is he?
Name's Mark Bosworth.
No connection to police.
Well, he was spouting
off "Blue Lives Matter."
There's a lot of
Internet chatter.
Seems like he drove all
the way up from Virginia.
I guess this story's
going national.
Listen, when the trial's over,
I'm gonna recommend to the
DA that you be taken off probation.
We both know it's ridiculous.
So what?
We're not gonna be
hanging out like this no more?
Just keep doing
what you're doing.
Win or lose,
you're a role model to
a lot of people right now.
Including my 9-year-old son.
You really came
through for me, Scotty.
Thank you.
Say good night to Marie for me.
Hey.
I have a play that would give
us back the idea of the video.
What do you mean the "idea"?
The People call Marco Diaz.
Something happen to him?
Do you swear to tell
the truth, the whole truth
and nothing but the
truth, so help you God?
I do.
Lieutenant Diaz. Good morning.
No, it isn't.
No. I suppose you're right.
Certainly not for the
family of Andy Josiah.
Or Officer Lindsley.
Or any other person
who puts on the uniform
and goes out into the streets
to protect people like you.
Okay. Well, I'm glad we're clear
about your attitude
about all of this.
Let's get to what happened
the night of June 9th.
Were you present
on the scene the night
that Andy Josiah was shot in
the back by Officer Lindsley?
I arrived at the
scene afterwards.
And what was your role there?
To supervise the investigation.
Was it part of
your job to collect
witness interviews on the scene?
It always is.
And... And were any
witness interviews conducted?
There wasn't
anybody around, so no.
Did anyone canvass
the neighborhood?
Not to my knowledge, no.
Look for video
surveillance footage?
I was told there was
nothing in the area.
By whom?
The uniform on scene.
Can't remember who.
So you don't remember
going into Sherwin
Maloof's bodega
and asking him about the
existence of video footage?
Nope.
Well, this is video taken
from inside the bodega.
Is that you, Lieutenant Diaz?
Objection! No.
He just said he didn't remember.
I'm merely refreshing
his recollection.
It's a backdoor way to avoid
the authentication ruling.
We're not seeking
to introduce this
as evidence, Your Honor.
Rule 6.09 subdivision
one specifically allows
the use of a writing
or other matter
precisely for this purpose.
She's not wrong, Ms. Marshall.
Overruled.
So, Lieutenant Diaz,
is this helping you
jog your memory?
I don't know when that is.
Well, the date/time code at
the bottom indicates June 9th.
Do you remember what you
and Mr. Maloof talked about?
No.
Well, that right there
looks like you getting
a flash drive from him.
Where is that flash
drive now, Lieutenant?
I don't know.
Did that flash drive contain
footage of the shooting,
Lieutenant Diaz?
On advice of counsel,
I'm gonna plead the fifth.
Did you destroy it?
On advice of counsel,
I'm gonna plead the fifth.
We're willing to offer you
immunity from any perjury charges
if you correct your previous
statement right now.
So I'm gonna ask
you one more time.
Was there something
on that video
that made you concerned
that Officer Lindsley
had committed a crime
when he shot Andy Josiah?
On advice of counsel,
I'm gonna plead the fifth.
I suppose you believe your
loyalty to your fellow officers
is admirable, Lieutenant.
We need to talk.
What's going on?
Diaz was attacked last night.
What?
They got him outside his house.
It was a warning.
He better put the
word out to lay off you.
And you think I have
something to do with it?
I know you have
friends in lots of places.
I spent nine years
fighting for my freedom.
I'm not gonna throw that
away, not for anything.
That's good enough for me.
And what about Diaz?
He said the... the guys
had Russian accents.
He doesn't know
what to make of it.
Is he gonna report it?
I urged him not to.
He agreed it would
only escalate everything.
And he doesn't want
any more attention.
This is getting out of control.
Well, Diaz said he
heard Russian accents,
but I think they were Albanian.
I just don't think he
knows the difference.
Albanian?
Davit.
Do you think Jamal
arranged this?
He was saying something
about getting me protection.
He knows that Davit owes me
from what I did for his cousin.
If anyone from probation
finds out about this
I know.
I'm not gonna tell you you
need to throw him away.
It's just, you're gonna have
to handle him somehow.
Yeah.
You ready for tomorrow?
Yeah. It'll be
Lindsley on the stand.
It'll all come down to that.
I don't want to testify.
What are you talking about?
You have to give
your side of the story.
Burden of proof's on them.
You made Matranga
look like a weasel.
But they scored with Diaz.
They don't have the video!
To half that jury, Diaz
just looks like a guy
trying to take care of his own.
Which is the truth.
You have to speak
unto your state of mind,
what you were thinking when
Josiah reached into the car.
Well, it's not complicated.
Everybody understands
the circumstances.
I get it's gonna be
uncomfortable, Edgar,
but your story is convincing.
If it wasn't, I would have
never stayed on the case.
I pointed my gun at the kid.
He's gonna ask me about it,
and I'm not gonna
have an answer.
You were scared.
That's your answer.
And when he asks me why?
If I would've been
scared if they were white?
Like you told me before...
Anyone who reached
into their car like that
would've frightened you.
You saw the boy.
Wallace will tear me apart.
He'll try.
But only you can say
you regret what happened.
Does the Defense
have any witnesses
it would like to call?
Ms. Marshall?
The Defense feels no need
to call any witnesses,
Your Honor.
He's a coward.
Then we'll proceed
with closing arguments.
For the Defense?
The prosecution's case
rests on three things.
First, the testimony
of Philip Matranga,
who claims Officer Lindsley
has a tendency to overreact
with violence, and yet,
he never came forward.
Second, the prosecution
would have you assume
if Lieutenant Diaz behaved
in an unprofessional way
after he arrived on the scene,
it must mean Officer
Lindsley is guilty.
You simply cannot
make that assumption.
And finally,
and this is very difficult,
we have the testimony
of Marcel Josiah,
a 7-year-old boy, traumatized
by the death of his father,
brought here to
deliver justice for him.
Do we really believe he could
distinguish what was happening
inside that car?
Who was saying what?
If his father resisted or not?
We can't know.
But can we send a man to
prison because we hurt for the boy?
Because we ache for his mother?
Because we feel terrible
about the man who was lost?
This was a tragedy,
one that has happened
far too often in this country.
But remember, it
was a dark night,
with the entire nation on edge.
Andy Josiah reached
into the window of his car.
That was a mistake.
A terrible, unfortunate
mistake was made by both men.
But a mistake is not a crime.
When they get to
around 10 years old,
every Black child in
America gets "the talk."
What to do when
accosted by a police officer.
Hands out your pockets.
Yes, sir, yes, ma'am.
Respect, compliance.
From about that age,
we are taught that this...
This color
this skin
will be considered a threat.
Andy did what his
father taught him.
He was polite,
respectful, compliant.
Officer Matranga told us that.
Now, if it wasn't true,
why would Lieutenant
Diaz go to such lengths
to ensure the video disappeared?
What we'll never know is what
was going through the mind
of Edgar Lindsley when
he shot Andy Josiah.
We can't know
because he never bothered
to fill out a police report.
Why?
Well, the assumption seems
to be that Andy Josiah's family
didn't deserve an explanation.
And that by simply
saying nothing,
he would get the
benefit of the doubt.
Now, would he have felt that way
if the man he pulled
over was white?
If it was a white boy
who was calling out
to his father from
the back seat?
If a white man
made the "mistake"
of reaching into the car
to help his frightened
7-year-old son,
would Officer Lindsley
have shot him in the back?
Andy would have given his
son that talk sooner or later.
But Marcel doesn't need that
explained to him now, does he?
This all needs to change.
It needs to change right now.
Right here.
Today.
It was a case that began
with an act of violence
and was marred by
the near-fatal shooting
of a special prosecutor.
But now, after six long
days of deliberation,
the jury for the
Andy Josiah shooting
informed Judge Patricia Howell
that they were finished.
That's no guarantee
they've reached a verdict,
but one way or another,
this saga will finally
come to an end tomorrow.
Court is now in session.
Thank you.
Madam Foreman, has
the jury reached a verdict?
We have, Your Honor.
Will the Defendant please rise?
As to the first count
of the indictment,
Manslaughter in
the First Degree,
how does the jury find?
Not guilty, Your Honor.
On the second count
of the indictment,
charging Criminally
Negligent Homicide,
how does the jury find?
Guilty, Your Honor.
Take it easy. It is
the lesser charge.
It's still a felony.
I'm gonna lose my
job and my pension.
It's something, Aaron.
It was a slap on the wrist.
Before I issue sentence,
I understand that.
Mrs. Josiah would
like to say something.
Would you come forward, please?
The jury has decided that
what happened to my husband
was an accident.
Like when a car company
makes faulty brakes.
When there's an accident,
we want to forgive people.
To give them another chance.
But my Andy isn't gonna
get another chance.
Because that "accident"
happened with a gun.
In the hands of a
man with all the power.
Now, the way I see it,
when you take a job where
you have that kind of power
you've gotta be more careful.
That means before you get
out of your car to ask someone
about a cellphone or a U-turn,
you gotta think about the fact
that that's somebody's father,
somebody's husband,
somebody's son that
you're gonna be talking to.
If you can't handle that,
if all that makes
you too scared,
then there's lots of
other jobs you can do.
Without a gun.
'Cause we can't have any
more "accidents" like this.
The night our son was born,
Andy wrote a letter to him.
I'd like to read it to him
now... in this courtroom.
"Dear Marcel,
you were just born.
I held you in my arms
for the first time tonight.
You are so small, your entire
body almost fits in my hand.
I hope you'll grow
healthy and strong."
Strong.
But I admit, part of me
wants you to stay this small,
so I can always protect you.
I hope so much for you, Marcel.
That you are happy and healthy.
I hope that you
are never afraid.
That you always feel
you can tell me anything.
I hope that you are
quick to forgive
and slow to anger.
I hope that you
do what you love.
And that when you fall in love,
it's as special as what
me and your mom have.
Know that I love you.
Your birth has made me
the happiest man..."Your
birth has made me the
happiest man on Earth.
And I will always
be there for you."
"Your dad."
To protect and serve.
That's what you
were supposed to do.
All rise!
Mr. Lindsley, is there
anything you'd like to say
before I issue your sentence?
No, Your Honor.
You stand before me,
convicted by a jury,
of a single count of a
Non-Violent E-felony
of Criminally
Negligent Homicide.
Certainly, Mr. Wallace
and his team have presented
a very compelling case.
I'm deeply troubled by the
testimony of Officer Matranga,
as well as the behavior
of Lieutenant Diaz
in the aftermath
of the shooting.
And Mrs. Josiah's pleas,
which are also the pleas
of a bereft and
suffering community,
cannot possibly
fall on deaf ears.
Nor can the agonizing
words of her son, Marcel,
who lost his father.
Therefore, I am sentencing you
to the maximum
term allowable by law,
four years in state prison.
The defendant will now
be remanded to the custody
of the New York State
Department of Corrections
to serve his
sentence at a facility
which they will determine.
Officers, execute sentence.
This proceeding being concluded,
the court is now adjourned.
Thank you.
For everything.
No. No. It was you. And Marcel.
You see what you did.
That man is not gonna
hurt anyone anymore.
We're still gonna
play chess now, right?
Every Tuesday and
Friday. Four o'clock, alright?
Alright.
Well, it's not all the marbles,
but it's something, guys.
It's acknowledgement.
And accountability.
And a lot better than
almost anyone else has done.
We make a good team.
Well, you're the
starting shortstop,
and center fielder
and pitching ace.
I don't know what I am.
The scruffy manager who spent
too many years in the minors?
Well, don't look at me.
I don't know anything
about football.
It's baseball, Safiya.
Well, I-I knew that, Aaron.
I just wanted to see how
much you underestimated me.
Well, that's one thing
we've never done.
No way.
So are we gonna, like,
start a firm or something?
Official?
There's a lot of work to do.
Damn right there is.
Good.
Now I'm gonna go see my kids.
You take care.
I never did thank you,
for what you did in the hallway.
Aaron, don't.
I hope you weren't trying to
make some kind of amends.
'Cause you don't need to.
It wasn't an amend.
I did it 'cause I love you.
I'm gonna do the
rest of this tomorrow.
Sure. Okay.
You get on home.
Thanks for all your hard work.
Mr. Wallace...?
Do you think we
made a difference?
I don't know.
What do you think?
I guess we'll see.
Night.
There he is.
The Man of the Peoples.
I know what you did with Diaz.
What you talking about?
Don't do me like that.
Let's get real.
So, what, I'm not supposed
to have your back now?
He was my key witness.
I'm lucky he showed up at court.
Well, it was just
a brushback pitch.
But it could've
blown back on me.
Nah. But it didn't.
And I made sure that it didn't.
Listen, I know you
were trying to protect me,
but I'd be lying if I said
I wasn't worried about
the road you're going down.
I hear you. I hear you.
Listen.
I'm gonna stay out of your
business on the outside
from here on in.
We gotta draw a harder
line than that, Jamal.
You gotta erase my
number from your burner.
No more texts or calls.
Not from there.
Yeah, we'll just go back to
Wednesdays in the phone bank.
With the Man listening in.
I'll do one better.
I'll be at Bellmore
Monday morning.
As your lawyer.
Got some new ideas on your case.
Come on, man.
You a legend now.
You got more important
things you need to focus on.
No, nothing's more important
to me than gettin' you out.
But you gotta let me
know that you want it.
And that you're
willing to fight.
Yeah. Whatever it takes.
I'll see you soon.
Right on.
Who this?
Bobby said you
needed to holler at me.
You thought I forgot about you?
We got unfinished business.
Now how you think
we gonna settle it?
Hey. Look at you.
Ready for the world.
My God, he did it.
Jazz! Ronnie! He stood up!
Lil' man's on his feet?
Yeah. I went to warm
up his milk. Look at him.
Dad, you were the
first one to see him?
Yeah.
Hey, congratulations, Aaron.
You did Andy proud.
Thanks.
You did us all proud.
How you feeling?
It's good to be home.
Come on.
You're walking to your mama?
Yeah.
Husband to Elaine,
father to Marcel and Lailah.
He shot him in the back.
In front of his son.
And fought like hell.
That's what we need to do.
Okay. How?
Appoint a special prosecutor.
Aaron Wallace.
I need people I can trust.
And that's you and Henry.
People are saying
they have no faith
in your ability to deliver
justice for Mr. Josiah.
You need more
of a presence here.
Let me make some calls.
I gotta win this, Marie.
No matter what.
Captions by VITAC...
Here's what I can tell
you about Aaron Wallace.
If it weren't for
him, I'd be sitting in
a jail cell at Bellmore.
We were rotting in there,
ready to catch the Covid,
until he showed up.
He never forgot.
And he never gave up on us.
And that's why we're free.
354 of us, he got out.
So I don't want to
hear anybody saying
they don't know
what his agenda is.
His agenda is to help people.
That's who Aaron Wallace is.
Been too long, my friend.
Yeah. I know, I'm
sorry, I've been...
Da-da-da-da-da.
I'm not trying to
lay no guilt on you.
Just good to see
you, man, that's all.
I saw the video
Hassanand the guys made.
He said you organized it.
I saw them beating
you up out there,
and I figured it was time
for the brothers to step up,
say what's what.
It was nice seeing everybody
like that, man...
You know, doing so
well on the outside.
How about you,
man? How you doing?
You know? You
still got security?
No. Only around
the house. For Marie.
I'm not having
anybody in uniform
following me around all day.
Yeah.
Listen, you know, if
you need my kinda help,
just say the word.
No. No. I'm good.
Trial starts tomorrow.
It'll be over soon.
Aa-ron. Takin' it to the Man.
I saw Marcel yesterday.
He's starting to
whoop me at chess.
And Lailah, man...
she keeps growing.
I keep watching the
home videos of you.
Think about you
all the time, man.
I can't promise
you anything, Andy.
Not in this world.
Except I'm gonna give
you everything I got.
I know that what happened
to Andy Josiah was wrong.
And Special Prosecutor
Aaron Wallace and his team
have determined what
charges should be brought
and against whom.
Full transparency
and a fair trial
is what I promised.
I understand that tensions
are very high right now,
but as the trial of
Officer Lindsley begins,
I ask for calm no matter what
happens in the coming days.
All rise!
The People vs. Edgar
Lindsley on the charges of.
Manslaughter in the First Degree
and Criminally
Negligent Homicide.
Because of the pandemic,
we have determined that
the jury will be sequestered
and observe the
proceedings on video feeds.
Everyone in attendance
has tested
negative for the virus
and will self-quarantine
during the length of the trial.
Given the significant
public interest in this case,
we will live-stream
the proceedings
on the Office of Court
Administration website.
Mr. Wallace, opening statement?
It's a Tuesday night,
and a man has a
very important errand.
His wife has a craving for
mint chocolate chip ice cream.
The man loves his wife,
and he wants her to be happy,
especially since
they have a new baby
and the cravings
from her pregnancy,
they... they just
haven't gone away yet.
As the man grabs his car keys,
his 7-year-old son
begs to come with him.
Now, this father is good.
He's loving, kind, and
knows what his son needs.
The drive will give him a chance
to convey some life lessons.
That the world doesn't
revolve around the boy
and that he's gonna
have to learn how to share.
So they head off
on their adventure.
The corner store.
They have their talk,
they get their ice cream,
and they're on their way home.
But the boy forgot
Tank... his favorite toy...
Back at the store.
Now, the father
doesn't scold his son.
It's not his style.
He says "no sweat,"
turns the car around.
Two minutes later, the
man was pulled over.
Six minutes later,
he's shot in the back.
Unarmed.
No criminal record.
That man's name was Andy Josiah,
and this is who he was.
Now, this is gonna be a dunk.
I want you to hang on the net
for a little while, alright?
You got that, babe?
Ready? Let's dunk.
Ha!
Yay!
We got it. We got it?
You see him? That's my son.
My son, my son. Mwah!
You want to put...
put more sauce on?
More sauce, more sauce.
Just a little bit. Alright.
You're doing the right thing.
And no matter how
they look at you,
you get up on that stand,
and you speak your truth.
And remember, you
got the surveillance video
corroborating
everything you say.
Officer Matranga, I have
here the police report
from that evening that
you wrote and signed.
Can you tell me what it says
about why you
stopped Andy Josiah?
It says we pulled him
over because he was
talking on his cellphone.
But you said earlier it was
because of an illegal U-turn.
Why did your account change?
When Lieutenant Diaz
arrived on the scene
and he started asking questions,
he told me to change our story.
Were there other
things in your account
that Lieutenant Diaz told
you to change for your report?
Everything in that report
is different from
what really happened.
If we may, Your Honor,
we have video surveillance
footage we'd like to play.
The Defense will have to
object to this, Your Honor.
This video footage has not
been properly authenticated.
It's security footage from a
camera owned by Sherwin Maloof,
who's presently in Iran,
but he did authenticate
it already once
during the grand jury.
He went to Iran?
One of the worst hit
Covid areas in the world?
He has sick family
there, Your Honor.
It was a sudden decision and
one we have no control over.
Is that so?
Because we subpoenaed
Mr. Maloof's text records
and discovered
a curious correspondence
between him and Safiya Masry.
In one of their most
recent exchanges,
Mr. Maloof wrote
"Safe in Tehran.
Thank you for letting me go."
I couldn't find
Mr. Maloof in Tehran,
but I did get an
affidavit from his wife,
who stated it was Ms.
Masry... Is this true?
Who suggested her husband leave
the country. He was never gonna testify.
It was the only way.
Ms. Masry?
The witness was terrified
to testify against the police
because he'd been
arrested on a petty charge
designed to intimidate him.
I did tell him that
having authenticated
the video at the
Grand Jury stage,
a court would likely
still admit the video
even if he was unavailable.
I should also note
that neither Mr. Roswell
nor Mr. Wallace were aware of
my conversation with Mr. Maloof.
Whether or not her
co-counsels knew,
Ms. Masry basically
told the witness to flee.
If the prosecution
procured his unavailability,
the Court can't possibly
allow the video into evidence.
No. Clearly.
I cannot imagine what you
were thinking, Ms. Masry,
but the court will be
excluding the video.
I don't know how you could
do that without telling us.
Come on, Henry, you know
you both needed deniability.
No one's gonna
believe us anyway.
We needed to
decide this together.
Maybe I should step down.
Clear the air for you two.
And how do you think
that's gonna look for the jury?
When they get back,
suddenly you're gone?
We need to focus on Matranga.
Where's his head?
Without that video, it's
his word against theirs.
Maybe we should
adjourn till tomorrow.
No. We give him any more
time to think, he's gonna fold.
We need to throw him
up there and let him finish.
Officer Matranga,
you testified earlier
that when Officer Lindsley
sent you back to the squad car
to run Andy's license,
that you were nervous.
That's right.
Why was that?
I was afraid the
situation might escalate.
But you said you observed
Andy being compliant.
I wasn't worried about him.
So you were concerned
about Officer Lindsley?
Well, I'd seen him
use f-force at times
I didn't think was necessary.
On how many occasions?
At least half a dozen.
If he was amped up.
Was he amped up the
night he shot Andy Josiah?
We all were. I mean,
he was especially.
And why was that?
Because of the protests.
So, do you think he was
looking for somewhere
to put that amped-up energy?
I don't know. I hope not.
No further questions,
Your Honor.
Officer Matranga,
how long did you work
with Officer
Lindsley as partners?
Almost two years.
And over the
course of two years,
did you ever report
Mr. Lindsley to your superior?
No.
Did you ever express
any reservations about
working with him or ask
for a new assignment?
No.
Did the prosecution
offer you immunity
to testify today?
I'm testifying
because my part...
Yes or no.
Were you offered immunity in
exchange for your testimony?
Yes.
So after two years
of saying nothing
about a partner who supposedly
has concerning behavior,
now that it benefits
you, you're willing to say
almost anything
to save yourself?
I am telling the truth.
Then let me ask you this.
At what point during the evening
did you believe Officer Lindsley
was violating police protocol?
Was it when you went back
to the car and said nothing?
Or was it when you were
in the car, doing nothing?
I'll ask you this then.
As per your police
protocol, if you were the one
who asked Mr. Josiah
to get out of the car,
if you were the one
standing five feet away
when he reached into a car,
can you know for certain
what you would have done?
No.
Maybe we go back to
Diaz and offer him a deal.
Without the video of
him harassing Sherwin,
he'll laugh in our faces.
What about trying to
get Sherwin back here?
It's worth a try.
It's fruit from a
poisonous tree now, Saf.
Forget it.
We find something
in Lindsley's past.
One of the other incidents.
We... We show a pattern.
Unless we find an incident
where he shot someone,
Judge is never gonna
let us walk down that road.
Maybe we try and
say it's something racial
and show it was a hate crime?
That's a whole other charge.
We're not going back to a
third Grand Jury, Charlotte.
You're just gonna sit there
and say no to everything?
I'm not gonna pitch bad
ideas just 'cause we're losing.
If you ask me, I say we...
We leak the video to the press,
make sure the jury sees it.
No.
I'm not putting that
lynching porn on the Internet
for Marcel and his
sister to grow up
watching their
father get murdered.
Well, how about calling
Marcel to the stand?
I'm almost afraid to mention it
'cause you're too
close to that family,
and everybody in this room
knows we got no choice now.
Alright. I'm gonna
get some fresh air.
Aaron.
Aaron.
I blew it.
I blew the whole thing.
Aaron? What?
I'm... I'm sorry.
That didn't come out
the way I wanted it to.
Aaron Wallace?
Big man.
Righteous man.
You got... You got a problem?
Nah, nah, I think
he does, though.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, easy!
Easy! Easy! Easy! Easy!
Blue Lives Matter!
Henry!
What happened?!
Call an ambulance!
He's been shot!
He's bleeding bad!
We need something to wrap
it! Charlotte, get some towels!
Are you all right?
Yeah. You're gonna
be okay, Henry.
We got you. We got you.
Aaron!
What do the doctors say?
He's still in the O.R.My God.
When I first heard,
I thought I lost you.
I know. I know.
Did you talk to Jazz?
Yeah. She's okay.
She knows I'm all right.
The gunman's apparent
target was Aaron Wallace,
who's angered conservative
groups who believe
he's on a crusade
to destroy the NYPD.
Once again, Special
Prosecutor Aaron Wallace
appears to have been
the intended target.
He stepped in front of me.
He took a bullet for me.
Hey, Elaine.
Is everything all right?
Yeah, I'm fine. And so is Henry.
My God. This is
I know.
So, what happens now?
The Judge will
give us a mistrial.
We can start over
in a few months.
We get Henry back, regroup,
and hopefully this
whole thing dies down.
No. It won't.
And you can't give
that young cop a chance
to change his story again.
The thing is, Elaine
is we're losing.
Pretty bad.
So without that video...
That's why you're gonna
put Marcel on the stand.
We didn't want to do that.
Andy is never
coming back, Aaron.
If anything is
gonna break Marcel,
it's gonna be not
having his father.
Marcel can testify that
Andy wasn't arguing.
He can also tell the jury
that that man
pointed a gun at him.
We've come this far.
We gotta finish this now.
I didn't want it
to come to this.
I put you in this position.
You haven't seen your
kids in over a month.
I know what you've
sacrificed to do this with me.
Give me a minute.
How's Henry doing?
He'll be out of
commission for a while,
but... seems like
he'll be all right.
I know how close you two are.
I heard you had
some issues, too.
Nothing like that.
Just hate mail.
Yeah. People are
having a hard time
figuring out what it
is you're doing here.
There can't be any doubt
in your mind he's a racist.
And that he shot
Andy in cold blood.
As a matter of fact,
I do have doubt.
And he deserves the benefit
of that, like anyone else.
He had plenty of
lawyers to choose from,
so it wasn't exactly your
civic duty to take this on.
So if a Black
woman does anything
outside of your rulebook,
she's a race traitor.
It's got nothing to do
with you being a woman.
If a Black woman's literally
not walking behind the coffin,
holding a handkerchief, with
her head down in deference...
You representing him...
burn her at the stake.
Condones what he did. Period.
Do you know how many
Black women were beaten,
shot, arrested the same
week as Andy Josiah?
Why don't you take
one of their cases?
There was a Black woman
who was killed in her
own home by cops.
I don't see the outrage for her.
Where's her burning buildings?
I'm sorry about what
happened to you,
and I respect what
you've done for yourself.
I don't think it's too much
to expect the same from you.
We are reconvening today
under very extreme circumstances.
If the prosecution would
like an adjournment,
the court would of
course be amenable.
Thank you, Your Honor.
We're ready to proceed.
Then present your
next witness, please.
You ready, Big Man?
If I tell you, will
this man go to jail?
You just tell the judge
everything you know,
and I'll do my job, alright?
Alright.
The People call Marcel Josiah.
I'm sure the Attorney General's
office will give you a call,
but I just heard that
they arrested the guy
who shot Roswell.
Who is he?
Name's Mark Bosworth.
No connection to police.
Well, he was spouting
off "Blue Lives Matter."
There's a lot of
Internet chatter.
Seems like he drove all
the way up from Virginia.
I guess this story's
going national.
Listen, when the trial's over,
I'm gonna recommend to the
DA that you be taken off probation.
We both know it's ridiculous.
So what?
We're not gonna be
hanging out like this no more?
Just keep doing
what you're doing.
Win or lose,
you're a role model to
a lot of people right now.
Including my 9-year-old son.
You really came
through for me, Scotty.
Thank you.
Say good night to Marie for me.
Hey.
I have a play that would give
us back the idea of the video.
What do you mean the "idea"?
The People call Marco Diaz.
Something happen to him?
Do you swear to tell
the truth, the whole truth
and nothing but the
truth, so help you God?
I do.
Lieutenant Diaz. Good morning.
No, it isn't.
No. I suppose you're right.
Certainly not for the
family of Andy Josiah.
Or Officer Lindsley.
Or any other person
who puts on the uniform
and goes out into the streets
to protect people like you.
Okay. Well, I'm glad we're clear
about your attitude
about all of this.
Let's get to what happened
the night of June 9th.
Were you present
on the scene the night
that Andy Josiah was shot in
the back by Officer Lindsley?
I arrived at the
scene afterwards.
And what was your role there?
To supervise the investigation.
Was it part of
your job to collect
witness interviews on the scene?
It always is.
And... And were any
witness interviews conducted?
There wasn't
anybody around, so no.
Did anyone canvass
the neighborhood?
Not to my knowledge, no.
Look for video
surveillance footage?
I was told there was
nothing in the area.
By whom?
The uniform on scene.
Can't remember who.
So you don't remember
going into Sherwin
Maloof's bodega
and asking him about the
existence of video footage?
Nope.
Well, this is video taken
from inside the bodega.
Is that you, Lieutenant Diaz?
Objection! No.
He just said he didn't remember.
I'm merely refreshing
his recollection.
It's a backdoor way to avoid
the authentication ruling.
We're not seeking
to introduce this
as evidence, Your Honor.
Rule 6.09 subdivision
one specifically allows
the use of a writing
or other matter
precisely for this purpose.
She's not wrong, Ms. Marshall.
Overruled.
So, Lieutenant Diaz,
is this helping you
jog your memory?
I don't know when that is.
Well, the date/time code at
the bottom indicates June 9th.
Do you remember what you
and Mr. Maloof talked about?
No.
Well, that right there
looks like you getting
a flash drive from him.
Where is that flash
drive now, Lieutenant?
I don't know.
Did that flash drive contain
footage of the shooting,
Lieutenant Diaz?
On advice of counsel,
I'm gonna plead the fifth.
Did you destroy it?
On advice of counsel,
I'm gonna plead the fifth.
We're willing to offer you
immunity from any perjury charges
if you correct your previous
statement right now.
So I'm gonna ask
you one more time.
Was there something
on that video
that made you concerned
that Officer Lindsley
had committed a crime
when he shot Andy Josiah?
On advice of counsel,
I'm gonna plead the fifth.
I suppose you believe your
loyalty to your fellow officers
is admirable, Lieutenant.
We need to talk.
What's going on?
Diaz was attacked last night.
What?
They got him outside his house.
It was a warning.
He better put the
word out to lay off you.
And you think I have
something to do with it?
I know you have
friends in lots of places.
I spent nine years
fighting for my freedom.
I'm not gonna throw that
away, not for anything.
That's good enough for me.
And what about Diaz?
He said the... the guys
had Russian accents.
He doesn't know
what to make of it.
Is he gonna report it?
I urged him not to.
He agreed it would
only escalate everything.
And he doesn't want
any more attention.
This is getting out of control.
Well, Diaz said he
heard Russian accents,
but I think they were Albanian.
I just don't think he
knows the difference.
Albanian?
Davit.
Do you think Jamal
arranged this?
He was saying something
about getting me protection.
He knows that Davit owes me
from what I did for his cousin.
If anyone from probation
finds out about this
I know.
I'm not gonna tell you you
need to throw him away.
It's just, you're gonna have
to handle him somehow.
Yeah.
You ready for tomorrow?
Yeah. It'll be
Lindsley on the stand.
It'll all come down to that.
I don't want to testify.
What are you talking about?
You have to give
your side of the story.
Burden of proof's on them.
You made Matranga
look like a weasel.
But they scored with Diaz.
They don't have the video!
To half that jury, Diaz
just looks like a guy
trying to take care of his own.
Which is the truth.
You have to speak
unto your state of mind,
what you were thinking when
Josiah reached into the car.
Well, it's not complicated.
Everybody understands
the circumstances.
I get it's gonna be
uncomfortable, Edgar,
but your story is convincing.
If it wasn't, I would have
never stayed on the case.
I pointed my gun at the kid.
He's gonna ask me about it,
and I'm not gonna
have an answer.
You were scared.
That's your answer.
And when he asks me why?
If I would've been
scared if they were white?
Like you told me before...
Anyone who reached
into their car like that
would've frightened you.
You saw the boy.
Wallace will tear me apart.
He'll try.
But only you can say
you regret what happened.
Does the Defense
have any witnesses
it would like to call?
Ms. Marshall?
The Defense feels no need
to call any witnesses,
Your Honor.
He's a coward.
Then we'll proceed
with closing arguments.
For the Defense?
The prosecution's case
rests on three things.
First, the testimony
of Philip Matranga,
who claims Officer Lindsley
has a tendency to overreact
with violence, and yet,
he never came forward.
Second, the prosecution
would have you assume
if Lieutenant Diaz behaved
in an unprofessional way
after he arrived on the scene,
it must mean Officer
Lindsley is guilty.
You simply cannot
make that assumption.
And finally,
and this is very difficult,
we have the testimony
of Marcel Josiah,
a 7-year-old boy, traumatized
by the death of his father,
brought here to
deliver justice for him.
Do we really believe he could
distinguish what was happening
inside that car?
Who was saying what?
If his father resisted or not?
We can't know.
But can we send a man to
prison because we hurt for the boy?
Because we ache for his mother?
Because we feel terrible
about the man who was lost?
This was a tragedy,
one that has happened
far too often in this country.
But remember, it
was a dark night,
with the entire nation on edge.
Andy Josiah reached
into the window of his car.
That was a mistake.
A terrible, unfortunate
mistake was made by both men.
But a mistake is not a crime.
When they get to
around 10 years old,
every Black child in
America gets "the talk."
What to do when
accosted by a police officer.
Hands out your pockets.
Yes, sir, yes, ma'am.
Respect, compliance.
From about that age,
we are taught that this...
This color
this skin
will be considered a threat.
Andy did what his
father taught him.
He was polite,
respectful, compliant.
Officer Matranga told us that.
Now, if it wasn't true,
why would Lieutenant
Diaz go to such lengths
to ensure the video disappeared?
What we'll never know is what
was going through the mind
of Edgar Lindsley when
he shot Andy Josiah.
We can't know
because he never bothered
to fill out a police report.
Why?
Well, the assumption seems
to be that Andy Josiah's family
didn't deserve an explanation.
And that by simply
saying nothing,
he would get the
benefit of the doubt.
Now, would he have felt that way
if the man he pulled
over was white?
If it was a white boy
who was calling out
to his father from
the back seat?
If a white man
made the "mistake"
of reaching into the car
to help his frightened
7-year-old son,
would Officer Lindsley
have shot him in the back?
Andy would have given his
son that talk sooner or later.
But Marcel doesn't need that
explained to him now, does he?
This all needs to change.
It needs to change right now.
Right here.
Today.
It was a case that began
with an act of violence
and was marred by
the near-fatal shooting
of a special prosecutor.
But now, after six long
days of deliberation,
the jury for the
Andy Josiah shooting
informed Judge Patricia Howell
that they were finished.
That's no guarantee
they've reached a verdict,
but one way or another,
this saga will finally
come to an end tomorrow.
Court is now in session.
Thank you.
Madam Foreman, has
the jury reached a verdict?
We have, Your Honor.
Will the Defendant please rise?
As to the first count
of the indictment,
Manslaughter in
the First Degree,
how does the jury find?
Not guilty, Your Honor.
On the second count
of the indictment,
charging Criminally
Negligent Homicide,
how does the jury find?
Guilty, Your Honor.
Take it easy. It is
the lesser charge.
It's still a felony.
I'm gonna lose my
job and my pension.
It's something, Aaron.
It was a slap on the wrist.
Before I issue sentence,
I understand that.
Mrs. Josiah would
like to say something.
Would you come forward, please?
The jury has decided that
what happened to my husband
was an accident.
Like when a car company
makes faulty brakes.
When there's an accident,
we want to forgive people.
To give them another chance.
But my Andy isn't gonna
get another chance.
Because that "accident"
happened with a gun.
In the hands of a
man with all the power.
Now, the way I see it,
when you take a job where
you have that kind of power
you've gotta be more careful.
That means before you get
out of your car to ask someone
about a cellphone or a U-turn,
you gotta think about the fact
that that's somebody's father,
somebody's husband,
somebody's son that
you're gonna be talking to.
If you can't handle that,
if all that makes
you too scared,
then there's lots of
other jobs you can do.
Without a gun.
'Cause we can't have any
more "accidents" like this.
The night our son was born,
Andy wrote a letter to him.
I'd like to read it to him
now... in this courtroom.
"Dear Marcel,
you were just born.
I held you in my arms
for the first time tonight.
You are so small, your entire
body almost fits in my hand.
I hope you'll grow
healthy and strong."
Strong.
But I admit, part of me
wants you to stay this small,
so I can always protect you.
I hope so much for you, Marcel.
That you are happy and healthy.
I hope that you
are never afraid.
That you always feel
you can tell me anything.
I hope that you are
quick to forgive
and slow to anger.
I hope that you
do what you love.
And that when you fall in love,
it's as special as what
me and your mom have.
Know that I love you.
Your birth has made me
the happiest man..."Your
birth has made me the
happiest man on Earth.
And I will always
be there for you."
"Your dad."
To protect and serve.
That's what you
were supposed to do.
All rise!
Mr. Lindsley, is there
anything you'd like to say
before I issue your sentence?
No, Your Honor.
You stand before me,
convicted by a jury,
of a single count of a
Non-Violent E-felony
of Criminally
Negligent Homicide.
Certainly, Mr. Wallace
and his team have presented
a very compelling case.
I'm deeply troubled by the
testimony of Officer Matranga,
as well as the behavior
of Lieutenant Diaz
in the aftermath
of the shooting.
And Mrs. Josiah's pleas,
which are also the pleas
of a bereft and
suffering community,
cannot possibly
fall on deaf ears.
Nor can the agonizing
words of her son, Marcel,
who lost his father.
Therefore, I am sentencing you
to the maximum
term allowable by law,
four years in state prison.
The defendant will now
be remanded to the custody
of the New York State
Department of Corrections
to serve his
sentence at a facility
which they will determine.
Officers, execute sentence.
This proceeding being concluded,
the court is now adjourned.
Thank you.
For everything.
No. No. It was you. And Marcel.
You see what you did.
That man is not gonna
hurt anyone anymore.
We're still gonna
play chess now, right?
Every Tuesday and
Friday. Four o'clock, alright?
Alright.
Well, it's not all the marbles,
but it's something, guys.
It's acknowledgement.
And accountability.
And a lot better than
almost anyone else has done.
We make a good team.
Well, you're the
starting shortstop,
and center fielder
and pitching ace.
I don't know what I am.
The scruffy manager who spent
too many years in the minors?
Well, don't look at me.
I don't know anything
about football.
It's baseball, Safiya.
Well, I-I knew that, Aaron.
I just wanted to see how
much you underestimated me.
Well, that's one thing
we've never done.
No way.
So are we gonna, like,
start a firm or something?
Official?
There's a lot of work to do.
Damn right there is.
Good.
Now I'm gonna go see my kids.
You take care.
I never did thank you,
for what you did in the hallway.
Aaron, don't.
I hope you weren't trying to
make some kind of amends.
'Cause you don't need to.
It wasn't an amend.
I did it 'cause I love you.
I'm gonna do the
rest of this tomorrow.
Sure. Okay.
You get on home.
Thanks for all your hard work.
Mr. Wallace...?
Do you think we
made a difference?
I don't know.
What do you think?
I guess we'll see.
Night.
There he is.
The Man of the Peoples.
I know what you did with Diaz.
What you talking about?
Don't do me like that.
Let's get real.
So, what, I'm not supposed
to have your back now?
He was my key witness.
I'm lucky he showed up at court.
Well, it was just
a brushback pitch.
But it could've
blown back on me.
Nah. But it didn't.
And I made sure that it didn't.
Listen, I know you
were trying to protect me,
but I'd be lying if I said
I wasn't worried about
the road you're going down.
I hear you. I hear you.
Listen.
I'm gonna stay out of your
business on the outside
from here on in.
We gotta draw a harder
line than that, Jamal.
You gotta erase my
number from your burner.
No more texts or calls.
Not from there.
Yeah, we'll just go back to
Wednesdays in the phone bank.
With the Man listening in.
I'll do one better.
I'll be at Bellmore
Monday morning.
As your lawyer.
Got some new ideas on your case.
Come on, man.
You a legend now.
You got more important
things you need to focus on.
No, nothing's more important
to me than gettin' you out.
But you gotta let me
know that you want it.
And that you're
willing to fight.
Yeah. Whatever it takes.
I'll see you soon.
Right on.
Who this?
Bobby said you
needed to holler at me.
You thought I forgot about you?
We got unfinished business.
Now how you think
we gonna settle it?
Hey. Look at you.
Ready for the world.
My God, he did it.
Jazz! Ronnie! He stood up!
Lil' man's on his feet?
Yeah. I went to warm
up his milk. Look at him.
Dad, you were the
first one to see him?
Yeah.
Hey, congratulations, Aaron.
You did Andy proud.
Thanks.
You did us all proud.
How you feeling?
It's good to be home.
Come on.
You're walking to your mama?
Yeah.