NCIS: New Orleans (2014–…): Season 6, Episode 17 - Biased - full transcript
1120. Dispatch.
10-55. Requesting backup.
In foot pursuit of a robbery suspect,
black male, blue jeans, dark shirt,
headed west on Robertson.
♪ Shake your body, let your body shake ♪
♪ Shake your body... ♪
NOPD!
What are you doing here?
NOPD! Move!
You need to go!
Why are you here?!
Get the hell out of the way!
- Whoa!
- Get the hell out of the way!
Drop the weapon! Drop it now!
♪ Boom, boom, boom, boom ♪
♪ Bang, bang, bang, bang ♪
♪ Boom, boom, boom, boom ♪
♪ How, how, how, how ♪
♪ Hey, hey ♪
♪ You gotta come on. ♪
When she calls me Granddad,
I just melt.
I mean, what can I tell you, Loretta?
I am incapable of denying
her anything she wants.
But, Gene, pizza, cotton
candy, and ice cream,
all before lunch?
Well, moral of the
story... I spoil my girls.
Moral of the story is, you
took your granddaughter
home to her mother in a sugar coma.
It's a granddad's prerogative.
Yeah, well, you're mighty
spry for a granddad.
- Girl, you have no idea.
- Mmm...
Come here.
Mmm.
Mm, damn.
Ah. Yeah, that's work.
I've got to leave.
Well, I've never been
on the receiving end
of that excuse before.
That's what happens when you
date a professional woman.
I'm Detective Cooper, State Police.
You're the medical examiner.
- Dr. Wade, from Jefferson Parish.
- Uh-huh.
This is New Orleans. Why am I here?
Officer-involved shooting,
but the victim was Navy.
- That's you, right?
- It is. NCIS been alerted?
They have.
What is this?
Where's the body blind?
Honestly, I don't know. I-I
got here right before you.
I know PD's focused on crowd control
- and canvassing witnesses.
- Well, we can't have this.
And the man needs to be uncuffed.
I'll look into it.
Excuse me, could someone
lend me some bedsheets
so that I can give this man some privacy
while I do my examination?
I got a tarp in my truck.
Ah. That would be great. Thanks.
This don't make no sense!
Here you go, ma'am.
- Thank you.
- You know he was unarmed, right?
Uh, I appreciate this,
but I can't talk about
the investigation.
You don't have to talk.
I saw the whole thing.
That officer over there
shot this young boy down
in cold blood...
like a dog in the street.
Officers, do either of you have
a handcuff key?
Now, please?
I need you to stand here
and hold up the body blind.
Loretta.
Evening.
Got a bit of a situation, I see.
Understatement of the year.
This Petty Officer Mitchell?
Yeah.
Looks like he was shot
twice, as far as I can tell,
by the detective over there
with the EMTs.
That's all I know for now, except I need
to finish my initial examination
and get Petty Officer
Mitchell off the streets soon.
Okay.
I'll leave you to it, Loretta.
Dwayne.
There is one more complication.
The man over there with the gray cap.
He says Petty Officer
Mitchell wasn't armed.
All I'm looking for
is Detective Bradley's
statement of what happened.
He's given his statement six times
to NOPD's Force Investigation Team.
I'm state police, and I'm in charge now.
Well, I'm his union rep.
I don't mind going over it again.
I didn't do anything wrong.
Evening, everyone.
Special Agent Dwayne Pride, NCIS.
Oh, great, another cook in the kitchen.
How you doing, son? You all right?
Well, honestly I've had better nights.
Want to catch me up on
what happened here?
Yeah, that man pulled a
weapon. I had to shoot.
- That's a lie.
- That's a damn lie!
- You murdered him!
- You murdered him!
Maybe we should move
this someplace where
there's more privacy.
Come on, let's go down the street.
Okay, everyone needs to
clear this shop right now.
Come on, have a seat, son.
Come on. Move along, fellas.
Thank you.
Let's start at the beginning.
Bradley's got a lawyer on
the way; let's wait for him.
I've got nothing to hide.
See, Drakes? He wants to talk.
Yeah, I could give a crap.
Okay, let's just slow it down.
Detective Bradley feels justified,
I, for one, would like to hear his part.
I was in a foot pursuit
of a robbery suspect.
I attempted to subdue
him, and he assaulted me.
I pursued him onto Lamarque,
where he disappeared into a crowd.
That's when I saw a man in the crowd.
- Petty Officer Mitchell?
- That's right.
He pulled a weapon,
and in fear for my life,
I proceeded to exercise deadly force.
Story tracks.
Of course it does, 'cause
that's what happened.
Yeah, just one question.
Where is the weapon
Petty Officer Mitchell
allegedly pulled?
Force Investigation Team
is searching for it now.
You didn't secure the gun
after you shot Mitchell?
It was chaos after I
discharged my weapon.
I dragged the suspect away
to cuff him and perform
life-saving measures,
but I was afraid the
crowd would turn on me.
We have two dozen officers
searching for the weapon.
We'll find it.
No...!
No! No!
Ali!
I'm sorry, ma'am. Ma'am,
who is he to you?
That's my son. That's my son.
Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry,
you can't come with us...
What did they do to my son?
I'm sorry.
No, no. Ali.
No...
We got you. We got you.
Ali!
That's not the point.
It doesn't matter. It...
Holloway.
What are you doing here?
HQ sent me to support
Force Investigation.
And, well, Bradley,
I thought he could use a friendly face.
Thanks, Gene.
Hey.
You two go back?
Oh. I was Ted's training officer.
Though I was never trained
for something like this.
Listen, it's gonna be okay, kid.
Just do what the detectives ask you.
Right now that means handing
over your service weapon.
It was a clean shoot. It was.
You're not being singled out.
It's all standard procedure.
You'll get it back once
the investigation's over.
You got to believe me, Gene, he
pulled a weapon. I had no choice.
Of course I believe you.
You say he pulled? He pulled a gun.
Respectfully, they've yet to
find the weapon in question.
- They will.
- I don't need to point out
the optics of the situation.
Not to me you don't, Dwayne.
That's why I'm here.
To make sure everyone
gets their fair shake.
Including Bradley.
Then your collective focus should
be on finding that weapon.
Couldn't agree more.
Because the longer this goes unresolved,
the bigger this powder keg becomes.
...police!
No justice, no peace,
no racist police!
No justice, no peace...
Shooting victim is Petty
Officer Third Class Ali Mitchell.
Construction mechanic, he
has two years in the service.
And we know who killed him.
Question is, was it justified?
Do we have Detective
Bradley's full statement yet?
Yeah, he was investigating
a series of robberies
over the last few months.
Caught the main suspect Gerald Young
in the midst of a robbery
and... made chase.
Yeah. He caught up to Gerald Young.
They fought.
Bradley pursued him into
a crowded street party.
- He had his weapon unholstered?
- Yes.
And when he approached
that street party?
He claims that he announced
himself and his purpose.
Said he couldn't proceed due
to an uncooperative crowd.
Not a surprise, running through a party
with his weapon out.
I'm sure it didn't go over
well in that neighborhood.
And that is when Petty Officer Mitchell
allegedly pulled a firearm
on Detective Bradley.
When he didn't respond to
orders to drop the weapon,
Bradley fired twice, killing Mitchell.
That is a harrowing
tale all the way around.
State police are running point
on the shooting investigation.
What's our role?
Focusing on Ali Mitchell.
See if we can determine how,
exactly, he fits into this situation
and the role he played,
if any, in his own death.
I can tell you right now, this story
of Ali pulling a weapon
on a cop is suspect.
Mitchell's service record
in the Navy is outstanding.
Two letters of commendation
from his commanding officer,
perfect evals, and
he's on the short list
for early promotion to
Petty Officer Second Class.
This is... this, uh, was a stand-up guy.
No, it doesn't sound
like someone that would
pull a gun on a cop.
Bradley's police record
is less impressive.
Seven years on the job
and as many complaints
for excessive force.
We've all got complaints.
Doesn't necessarily mean
the guy's a bad actor.
No, but given the circumstances,
it's worth noting.
Was there a connection between
Gerald Young and Ali Mitchell?
Why? Because they're both black?
What?! No.
Hold on, hold on, hold on.
Let's just take a breath, okay?
Gerald Young and Ali Mitchell
both grew up in the same
neighborhood, okay?
It's a natural question.
The bigger question is: where's the gun?
It's been 12 hours since the shooting.
It still hasn't been found.
Maybe someone picked it up.
Or maybe there is no gun.
Look, this is a sensitive subject.
Let's not make any assumptions
till we've learned things. Yes?
- Gene!
- I-I know I shouldn't be here.
You should not!
But under the circumstances, Loretta,
Bradley spends holidays at my house.
I'm godfather to his son.
Even more reason.
Gene, you're not impartial.
And I couldn't release the
findings if I wanted to.
You know what they're saying, right?
White cop kills unarmed black man,
business as usual for the NOPD.
But that's not Bradley.
They're saying the same
thing about Ali Mitchell,
calling him a thug, that
he deserves to die.
All those opinions are asinine.
And none based in facts.
They're calling him a racist, Loretta.
This same racist
is Big Brother to a kid in the 9th Ward.
Doesn't mean he couldn't make a mistake.
Not this kid.
And that'll be proven
once we find a gun.
If you find a gun.
Now, we are working
hard to get to the truth.
Hope the NOPD is doing the same.
I support Bradley,
and I will overturn every
rock there is to help him.
But I will not be placing
rocks where there are none.
You seem to be everywhere, Holloway.
He was just leaving.
Actually, I was, uh,
hoping to get a coroner's report.
As a courtesy?
I'm okay with that.
In the interest of transparency.
Petty Officer Ali
Mitchell was shot twice.
The first bullet pierced the heart
and exited through the lung cavity.
The second bullet hit the liver
and was lodged inside the spinal cord.
Only thing that really confirms
is that Bradley is responsible
for Petty Officer Mitchell's death.
What a waste of time.
Coming from the crime scene?
Yeah, watching NOPD and state police
look for a gun that doesn't exist.
- What you got here?
- I'm watching surveillance
and social media videos from last night.
You find anything?
Well, we got the shooting
from almost every angle,
backing Bradley's story
that he announced himself.
What we don't have is anything
showing us what was in Mitchell's hand.
- Learn anything else?
- Yeah.
The court of public opinion has
already taken sides on this.
- _
- This is going viral.
Proof that Ali Mitchell was
a shot caller in a gang.
Well, that's Alpha Phi Alpha.
Those are fraternity mentees.
It gets worse.
Oh, clearly somebody doctored this.
Ha, relax, bruh.
It doesn't take a computer
specialist to see that.
I got to dig up every
bone on Ali Mitchell
to see if he really had a violent past.
Hold on.
Why help NOPD build a case?
That's not what I'm doing at all.
Knowledge is power, baby.
Look, the more information
we have on Ali Mitchell,
the better it is for us
to follow the evidence
to get to the truth.
Okay. What truth do you see?
That Ali Mitchell is dead.
It's Pride.
State police got a warrant
to look for Gerald Young
at his girlfriend's place.
He wants me to meet him there.
Thanks.
You can't just barge in here like this.
You need to focus and tell
me where Gerald Young is.
He's not here. I can tell you that.
Haven't seen him in weeks.
- Sure you haven't.
- This is an abuse
of power and police brutality.
It's like y'all are just looking
- to frame people.
- Hey, you need
to calm down, or I'll have you
removed from the premises.
You can't have me removed.
My baby's in the other room sleeping.
Then you better behave.
NCIS, ma'am.
I'm sorry for the inconvenience.
Yeah. We'll be out of your
hair in no time, promise.
Great.
They woke up my baby,
and I just got him down.
Can you not hear him crying in there?
Hey, hey, it's okay. I'll escort her.
Thanks.
Hey, little man.
I got you.
Hey.
How you doing, there, little man?
Thanks for your help out there.
Come on.
Aw, I'd be upset, too.
Bunch of strangers in my
house during my nap time.
I'm sorry, buddy.
We're done here. Let's go.
Ma'am.
Thanks for your help.
Hey. Look, not all cops are jerks, okay?
If you need anything,
anything at all, give me a call.
All right?
You know, that could have been
handled differently.
I've been executing warrants
for 20 years, Special Agent.
Yeah, imagine what you could accomplish
by showing some respect when you did it.
So, uh,
what is the status on the weapon search?
Haven't found it yet, but we got a tip
that someone in the
crowd may have swiped it.
Dumped it nearby.
I'll keep you updated regardless.
You know, no matter how right
you may be, you don't
always have to express
every thought that crosses your mind.
Yeah, I'll take that under advisement.
But look what I found
in Jasmine's apartment.
I guess Gerald and Mitchell were close.
Why would you confiscate
that and keep it from Cooper?
Please tell me you're not
trying to bury evidence, either.
No, Pride. I figure we should
get the complete story before
our friends over there jump
to all kinds of conclusions.
So, instead you're
jumping to conclusions,
ignoring procedure, because you assume
that the system is
rigged against Mitchell.
It's not an assumption, okay?
It's experience living in
this world as a black man.
The staties are gonna
say Mitchell's a crook.
And you can bet the picture
they provide the media,
it won't be a graduation photo.
The entire team is working
hard to give Mitchell justice.
But that is not strategic,
it's not how we operate.
And if anyone found out, we
could get kicked off the case.
And that would not help Mitchell.
Now I'm forwarding a copy of that photo
to Detective Cooper.
You know, you're so busy
trying to remain neutral.
There's nothing neutral
about this situation.
New rule.
I don't assume to know your experience
and you don't assume to know mine.
Fair?
We know Ali Mitchell
and Gerald Young were friends.
But we don't know how deep it went.
And if Mitchell was involved
in any criminal activity.
Well, we scrubbed
every inch of his past.
There was no hint of
criminal involvement.
He had a juvenile record,
but that's been expunged.
But Gerald Young's juvie
record hasn't been expunged.
Maybe Young's record could give us
insight into Ali Mitchell's past.
Guilt by association.
Hey, I'm not the enemy here, okay?
Hey! You're the one who
found the photograph.
Look, Gerald Young didn't start violent.
There's some, uh, grand
theft auto, shoplifting,
marijuana possession.
Gerald's list of known associates
has two redacted names.
Ali Mitchell could've been one of them.
Okay, even if it was,
this is eight years ago.
He's obviously cleaned up his act,
or else he wouldn't be in the Navy.
- It's not relevant.
- Yeah,
but the NOPD won't see it that way.
They're gonna say that he fell back
into his old life with
his old friend Gerald.
That he was a probable accomplice
in the warehouse robberies.
They're gonna say that Gerald knew
exactly where to run to save himself,
and Ali Mitchell was
there waiting, armed.
Yeah, sure. Except for one little thing.
There is no gun. All this time,
- Detective Bradley claims to have seen
- When?
Ali Mitchell pull a weapon.
Close to 24 hours later,
and it's still not in evidence.
Not so sure about that.
State police just found a gun.
Been on the phone with
the governor's office.
They want a press conference to update
the shooting investigation
and quell the growing unrest.
Bit premature with no
actual updates yet.
We found the weapon
Detective Bradley says
Petty Officer Mitchell brandished.
Weapon hasn't even been analyzed.
Bradley saw a gun, we found a gun.
In my experience,
the straightest line leads to the truth.
A gun was found three
blocks from the crime scene,
hidden behind a loose brick
in an abandoned building.
Not exactly a straight line.
It's progress.
And the governor isn't asking.
He wants a joint press
conference. United front.
I'd just as soon wait for
the analysis of the gun.
And frankly,
I'd like my team to perform it.
The state's lab is perfectly
capable of analyzing a firearm.
You'll get the report
once it's complete.
And I'll be happy to participate
in your press conference
once I do.
Dwayne,
be reasonable.
This could lead to riots in the streets.
It'll be worse if we get it wrong, Gene.
I wonder what they're discussing.
Probably how far to throw
Mitchell under the bus.
Not Pride. Still too many
unanswered questions.
Yeah, like where that
gun's been this whole time.
And how it magically appeared.
We have all the pieces,
they just don't seem to fit.
There's one person who might be able
to shed some light on this Gerald Young.
Bradley was chasing him
- before the shooting.
- No, He's a fugitive now.
Every cop in the state is after him.
What if we take another crack
at his girlfriend Jasmine?
Not treat her like a suspect.
She could give us the inside scoop.
Worth a try.
I'm not asking for myself, Pride.
I'm asking for Bradley.
A press conference could help him.
He's been receiving death threats.
Last night they threw a
brick through his window.
He deserves a fair shake, too.
Oh, I'm not so sure he does.
And who are you?
Special Agent Carter, investigating
- Ali Mitchell's shooting.
- Well,
maybe Pride neglected to
tell you, they found the gun.
The investigation's over.
That's not how investigations work.
Son, I know how investigations work.
I don't need a lecture
from the freshman class.
Does the food taste better
in the house than in the field?
Boy, who the hell do you think you are?
- That's enough, Carter.
- No, no, no. He started this.
Let him finish.
Well?
Hmm.
Know what?
I got a lead I need to follow anyway.
Hmm.
Who the hell is this kid?
I need this.
Hannah.
- Go with him, please.
- Okay.
What was that about
back there, with Holloway?
Don't worry about it.
Oh, well, I am worried.
'Cause we're about to talk to a witness
that might be the only
person that can help us,
and you're distracted.
Believe it or not,
I want to help.
- You can't.
- You're not the only person
that's ever experienced
discrimination, you know?
- I never said I was.
- Yeah,
but you made a few assumptions about me
back there that weren't fair.
Maybe.
Let's work together on this, okay?
Because, look, I may not
have walked in your shoes,
but I'm gonna have your back.
What can I do?
You can give me a hand.
Just brought you some
things for the baby.
Uh, diapers, snacks, milk.
I'll take the groceries, but I'm
not giving Gerald up to you.
That's okay.
I just want to give
this back to you, too.
Figured those other cops took it.
Ali and Gerald were real close, huh?
Almost like brothers.
But everybody loved Ali.
He was a good man.
We know Gerald got into some trouble
back then. Was Ali part of that?
As teenagers, yeah.
But it was just kid stuff,
and Ali grew out of
it after junior year.
He found a new interest.
- What was that?
- The Navy.
Recruiter came by the
school. Took to Ali.
Said he had potential.
Helped clean up his
record, changed his life.
This is really important, Jasmine.
Was Ali helping Gerald with
those warehouse robberies?
Ali? Hell no.
He was the one nagging
Gerald to quit the game.
And Gerald never would've
even asked him to join in.
He respected the path that Ali took.
Do you think it's possible
that he had a gun on
him the other night?
No, ma'am.
Not possible.
And Gerald would tell you the same.
I'd like to hear what he has to say.
Come on, you've seen the news.
How they're portraying Ali.
Like some kind of thug.
Look, we're trying to clear his name.
Okay, Gerald's statement
could really help.
Jasmine, you're the mother of a son.
A black son.
Imagine something like that
happens to him one day.
Then his legacy was
tarnished by these lies.
Now think about Ali's mother, Jasmine.
Tell us where Gerald is.
Jasmine doesn't know where Gerald is,
but she gave Carter and
I this list of possibilities.
Okay, so this is the closest we've come
- to finding him so far.
- Yeah.
- Let's get warrants and search them.
- Yeah, yeah.
Hey, hold up, hold up.
Y'all need to see this.
- _
- My son Ali...
...was a good man.
He didn't deserve to leave
this life the way that he did.
And now they're calling him a thug.
A-a gangbanger, a drug dealer.
They're saying he got
what was coming to him.
Why are they doing this?
God, this woman must
be in a living hell.
The Mitchell family have
been upstanding members
- of this community.
- How many unarmed black men have to die
- before enough is enough?
- Danziger!
Danziger! Danziger!
Danziger! Danziger!
- Danziger!
- Why are they chanting "Danziger"?
Danziger Bridge.
After Hurricane Katrina hit,
police shot six unarmed black
people waiting to get rescued.
Two died.
I never heard about that.
It's not New Orleans' finest hour.
They're not gonna put
that on the brochure.
But it happens all the time.
Hell, I was almost a statistic.
Police pulled me over.
Said I fit the description
of a murder suspect.
Had me sprawled on the
ground with a gun in my face.
That was before my accident, though.
Did things change after that?
Well, people feel sorry for
me because of the chair.
That accident's probably the best thing
that ever happened to me.
Oh, come on, Patton, really?
Look, don't get me
wrong. I miss walking.
But the police don't treat
me the same no more.
It's as if the chair erased my race.
I'm no longer seen as a threat.
As if you could ever be threatening.
Thank you, baby.
But it is a problem for black men.
Carter probably has his own stories.
And I'm positive that Wade
had the talk with her two boys
about how to act, not if, but when
they get stopped by the police.
It's just a fact of life.
At least for now.
Got your message. What's so urgent?
Well,
I'm not supposed to have this.
It's not official yet.
But a friend of mine at the state lab
slipped it to me.
Analysis of the weapon
state police found?
Yeah.
30 distinct different
fingerprints were lifted.
None belonging to Ali Mitchell.
My friend at the lab thinks
it's a community gun, whatever that is.
People on probation or parole
will hide guns in public areas,
rather than hold on their person
and risk going back to jail.
Well, whatever kind of gun it was...
it didn't belong to Ali Mitchell.
Watching all these videos,
- I think I'm starting to hallucinate.
- Hey, Sebastian.
Check this out, man. Think
it's happening to me, too.
Look at this.
Well, that's definitely on the video.
Think it might be a gun?
I don't know. Looks more
like a shadow to me.
- How we doing in here?
- Oh, we found something, but
can't quite figure out what it is.
Might not be good news for Ali Mitchell.
It could be a gun, could be a shadow.
But if it was anything,
it would have been
bagged and tagged
right after the shooting.
Unless...
I mean, unless it disappeared
in there.
I could go back to the
scene, take a look.
Uh, yeah, get on it, Sebastian.
Special Agent Pride speaking.
Uh, I-I-I understand, but...
well, I think it's a terrible idea.
We still haven't...
Yes, ma'am.
Understood.
I've just been ordered
to participate in the press conference.
Seems official Washington
wants a united front, too.
I'm Detective Christina Cooper
of the Louisiana State
Police, and lead investigator
for the officer-involved shooting death
of Navy Petty Officer Ali Mitchell
by NOPD Detective Ted Bradley.
Joining me today are
representatives from both
the NOPD
and NCIS.
All of our agencies are working together
to uncover the facts of what happened.
We're making good progress
and intend to release a full report
that will bring satisfaction to
the people of New Orleans.
Is is true Ali Mitchell's gun
has been recovered?
- I cannot comment on any evidence.
- Which means you do
- have a gun in evidence.
- What we have
is being analyzed by
the state forensics lab.
That's a lie!
That's a lie!
Uh, hi. Listen...
Hang on!
I want to make it clear
that there is no evidence
linking Petty Officer Mitchell
to a gun at this time.
No justice, no peace!
No racist police!
No justice, no peace!
What the hell was that, Dwayne?
Setting the record straight.
More like setting the city on fire.
No racist police!
No justice, no peace!
No racist police!
You want to tell me how Pride
got the forensics on a gun
when the state hasn't
released the report?
If you tell me how the media knew
that the state even found a gun?
What are you talking about?
Someone must have
leaked it to them, Gene.
Not me.
Unlike your saintly Pride,
my guys are running
this case by the book.
- Please.
- And why did he
deliberately contradict
Cooper in front of the press?
Because he didn't want
the people to believe
that Ali Mitchell had a
weapon when he didn't.
But you know he had a weapon, Loretta.
It's in the state lab.
- So you did slip it to Pride?
- Just read it, Gene.
A community gun?
And Cooper knew it, too.
That just means we have to
redouble our efforts in the search.
Why can't you consider that Ali Mitchell
didn't have a gun?
Because the kid had a
criminal past, Loretta.
He was best friends with the suspect
that Bradley was chasing.
You want to talk about pasts?
Your friend Bradley has quite
a complaint record himself.
He's a good kid, Loretta.
A good cop.
Why won't you give him
the benefit of the doubt?
Because my CJ could have been
on the other side of his gun!
Or Danny!
Alton Sterling.
Tamir Rice.
- Eric Garner.
- Loretta...
Charles Kinsey, Oscar Grant,
- Philando Castile.
- Stop.
Sandra Bland! Stephon Clark!
Loretta, I get it!
I'm caught in the middle here.
If I go too far one way,
I'm a, I'm a traitor to the badge.
Go too far the other way,
I'm a traitor to the race.
All I want is to be fair.
Stand by a man I've
known for seven years.
Make it better for all of us.
I fail to see how standing by Bradley
is making it better for
anyone but Bradley.
When I joined this department,
there were still some cops
putting bananas in our lockers.
Calling us "gorillas in the midst".
Then you should understand
why the people are upset
about Ali Mitchell.
Of course I do!
But this isn't Danziger.
NOPD has turned a corner.
I mean, the chief is black,
60% of the department is black...
Still doesn't mean Bradley isn't biased.
I was his training officer.
What does it say about me if I could
support him in making
a racist move like that?
He's not that man.
I know his heart.
Maybe you do.
But I can't help but wonder
if Bradley would have been
quick to pull the trigger
if Ali Mitchell was white.
Hey, Pride,
we're at the last location
Jasmine gave us
to look for Gerald Young.
It's a farm belonging to
his uncle outside the city.
Hopefully he's there. Be careful.
The mayor says the city
will be under curfew
until further notice.
- Ready?
- Yeah.
NCIS. Search warrant!
Gerald Young, come out
with your hands up!
Hey! Hey!
He's rabbiting out the back.
Gerald Young?
Boy, I can't tell you
how happy we are to see you.
Figured you might be hungry.
Don't need no friendly act.
Just take me to jail already.
I'm not the one to take you to jail.
Yeah? Okay. Sure.
Look around.
No NOPD. No state police, just...
just me for now.
I want to know about
Ali Mitchell.
He's dead. What else you need to know?
A lot, Gerald.
- You two were tight.
- Yeah, so?
So I'm wondering... if maybe you
were partners in crime, too.
- The warehouse robberies?
- No.
Man.
Look, Ali was a citizen.
He was gonna be somebody.
The fool thought I could
be somebody, too.
- What do you mean?
- He was trying
to get me out the life.
Help me clean up my
record, get into the Navy
or at least a real job, but...
Man, I got a girl and a baby, so...
Night Ali died, you were being
chased by Detective Bradley.
Did you run to the block for Ali's help?
I ran to the block 'cause I
knew the party was going on.
Okay? I could get lost in the crowd.
Didn't even know Ali was gonna be there.
Or that he would even try
to stop me... from running.
He tried to stop you?
He got right up in my face.
Just before that, that cop shot him.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Okay, so you saw Ali
right before he died.
Do you remember seeing
anything in his hands?
I was running for my life, man.
I wasn't thinking about no hands.
Look, I just...
Gerald.
What?
The wrong person is dead.
It was the wrong person.
It should have been me.
Yo.
Still at it, Slim?
Uh, yeah. Just doing my job.
You're willing to get into the
muck to find this phantom gun?
That is dedication.
I'm just not sure to what.
Yeah, look, I, uh, I get why
this case has you so, uh...
- Angry?
- Passionate.
But I am, too. You know, it's our job
to figure out the truth
of what happened.
- We know the truth.
- Yeah, but it hasn't been proven yet.
We know that something flew
out of Ali Mitchell's
hand the other night.
We need to know what.
Mitchell deserves that.
Hell, so does Bradley.
Okay. How can I help?
How expensive is that suit?
You know I meant "help"
in the moral support
meaning of the word?
What are you talking
about? This is the fun part.
You find all kinds of cool
stuff down here, like, uh...
- Hepatitis?
- That's...
Okay, yeah. Well, my therapist says
we're not supposed to dwell
on communicable diseases.
How far down this tunnel
do we have to look?
It's hard to say.
Didn't get a lot of rain yesterday,
so it's pretty shallow.
Maybe we'll get lucky. I don't know.
Wait a minute.
Think I stepped on something.
Check this out.
What'd you find?
If this is round three,
I feel outnumbered.
We don't want to fight, Gene.
Out of courtesy, Pride thinks it's best
we share this with you
before going to Cooper.
What'd you find?
Detective Bradley was
correct when he said
he saw something in Ali
Mitchell's hands that night.
Mm-hmm.
Unfortunately for him,
it wasn't a gun.
You're sure it was Mitchell's?
Ali was recording
as Bradley approached.
Captured his own death, too.
Bro, he's behind me,
bro, he's behind me.
Out of the way! Get
the hell out of the way!
Drop the weapon, drop it now!
What are you doing?
Just not ready to go up there.
It's not on you, Gene, or the NOPD.
It's on Bradley.
One man's actions.
We both know that's not true.
Bradley's a cop.
To the public, he's just further proof
of police bias.
Not all the public.
Works both ways, you know?
When was the last time you heard
of a heinous crime on the news
and prayed the suspect wasn't black?
You can't fix it all today.
What you can do is go up
there and support your friend.
He'll need it.
Bro, he's behind me,
bro, he's behind me.
Get the hell out of the way!
Get the hell out of the way!
Get the hell out of the way!
Drop the weapon! Drop it now!
I was so sure. I mean...
I was convinced he had a gun.
I messed up, Gene.
I messed up.
What happens to Bradley now?
Will he be brought up on charges?
Not likely.
Fired?
Probably not.
Fact is, Bradley
thought he saw a gun.
He feared for his life.
Maybe he could have
taken longer to react.
Maybe he was biased.
But the shooting was within
NOPD policy guidelines.
But where's the justice?
This mother's lost her child.
I've worked half a dozen
cases like this in my career,
and honestly there is no justice.
Just compensation
from the police department's
insurance fund.
Ali's mother can take some comfort
in his vindication.
His legacy will remain
a positive one.
And Bradley?
What's his legacy?
Hey, baby. You heading out?
Yeah, I'm about to meet up
with a friend from the NOPD
- for a drink before the vigil.
- That's nice.
I don't blame you, man.
Hey. Turn that up.
I have served in law
enforcement for seven years.
And although I love my job
and I loved working with the community,
I can no longer do
the job in good faith.
As a result, and to help
the city that I love to heal,
I am resigning from the New
Orleans Police Department
effective immediately.
My sincerest apologies
to Petty Officer Mitchell's
family and friends.
I hope my resignation can
come as some small solace
during this difficult time.
I also hope the community can
look past my grievous
mistake and continue
to build bridges with the NOPD.
- Thank you.
- Detective...
Oh, wow. That was unexpected.
Yeah, well, at least he did
the right thing by resigning.
Split-second decision like that,
alone at night, in a crowd,
adrenaline pumping?
I'd like to say I wouldn't
fire, but I just don't know.
One thing for sure.
Everybody has a bias, even
if you're unaware of it.
Things will get better. We
just got to just keep pushing.
Keep open. Keep real.
You really believe that, Patton?
Like MLK said, "The moral
arc of the universe is long,
but it bends towards justice".
Is this spot taken?
I was hoping I'd see you.
You know, I never did get a
chance to apologize to you
for, for everything.
No need to apologize.
Well, I did let my bullheadedness
- get the best of me.
- Yeah...
You're a good cop,
Gene, and a good friend.
And if I were in your place,
I'd fight just as hard.
Well, I'm... tired of fighting.
I just want to pay my
respects like everyone else.
My name is Nessa Mitchell.
Ali was my son.
I can't tell you how gratified I am
to see all of New Orleans
come out together
in his honor.
My baby was the light of my
life and the joy in my heart.
He was taken too soon.
Yes, he was.
But his light and his joy will shine on.
Yes, it will.
We will never forget you, baby.
May your days be filled talking to God,
walking with Jesus...
...and resting in power.
Amen.
♪ Lift every voice ♪
♪ And sing ♪
♪ Till Earth and heaven ring ♪
♪ Ring with the harmonies ♪
♪ Of liberty ♪
♪ Let our rejoicing rise ♪
♪ High as the listening skies ♪
♪ Let it resound ♪
♪ Loud as the rolling sea ♪
♪ Facing the rising sun ♪
♪ Of our new day ♪
♪ Begun ♪
♪ Let us march on ♪
♪ Till victory ♪
♪ Is won. ♪
10-55. Requesting backup.
In foot pursuit of a robbery suspect,
black male, blue jeans, dark shirt,
headed west on Robertson.
♪ Shake your body, let your body shake ♪
♪ Shake your body... ♪
NOPD!
What are you doing here?
NOPD! Move!
You need to go!
Why are you here?!
Get the hell out of the way!
- Whoa!
- Get the hell out of the way!
Drop the weapon! Drop it now!
♪ Boom, boom, boom, boom ♪
♪ Bang, bang, bang, bang ♪
♪ Boom, boom, boom, boom ♪
♪ How, how, how, how ♪
♪ Hey, hey ♪
♪ You gotta come on. ♪
When she calls me Granddad,
I just melt.
I mean, what can I tell you, Loretta?
I am incapable of denying
her anything she wants.
But, Gene, pizza, cotton
candy, and ice cream,
all before lunch?
Well, moral of the
story... I spoil my girls.
Moral of the story is, you
took your granddaughter
home to her mother in a sugar coma.
It's a granddad's prerogative.
Yeah, well, you're mighty
spry for a granddad.
- Girl, you have no idea.
- Mmm...
Come here.
Mmm.
Mm, damn.
Ah. Yeah, that's work.
I've got to leave.
Well, I've never been
on the receiving end
of that excuse before.
That's what happens when you
date a professional woman.
I'm Detective Cooper, State Police.
You're the medical examiner.
- Dr. Wade, from Jefferson Parish.
- Uh-huh.
This is New Orleans. Why am I here?
Officer-involved shooting,
but the victim was Navy.
- That's you, right?
- It is. NCIS been alerted?
They have.
What is this?
Where's the body blind?
Honestly, I don't know. I-I
got here right before you.
I know PD's focused on crowd control
- and canvassing witnesses.
- Well, we can't have this.
And the man needs to be uncuffed.
I'll look into it.
Excuse me, could someone
lend me some bedsheets
so that I can give this man some privacy
while I do my examination?
I got a tarp in my truck.
Ah. That would be great. Thanks.
This don't make no sense!
Here you go, ma'am.
- Thank you.
- You know he was unarmed, right?
Uh, I appreciate this,
but I can't talk about
the investigation.
You don't have to talk.
I saw the whole thing.
That officer over there
shot this young boy down
in cold blood...
like a dog in the street.
Officers, do either of you have
a handcuff key?
Now, please?
I need you to stand here
and hold up the body blind.
Loretta.
Evening.
Got a bit of a situation, I see.
Understatement of the year.
This Petty Officer Mitchell?
Yeah.
Looks like he was shot
twice, as far as I can tell,
by the detective over there
with the EMTs.
That's all I know for now, except I need
to finish my initial examination
and get Petty Officer
Mitchell off the streets soon.
Okay.
I'll leave you to it, Loretta.
Dwayne.
There is one more complication.
The man over there with the gray cap.
He says Petty Officer
Mitchell wasn't armed.
All I'm looking for
is Detective Bradley's
statement of what happened.
He's given his statement six times
to NOPD's Force Investigation Team.
I'm state police, and I'm in charge now.
Well, I'm his union rep.
I don't mind going over it again.
I didn't do anything wrong.
Evening, everyone.
Special Agent Dwayne Pride, NCIS.
Oh, great, another cook in the kitchen.
How you doing, son? You all right?
Well, honestly I've had better nights.
Want to catch me up on
what happened here?
Yeah, that man pulled a
weapon. I had to shoot.
- That's a lie.
- That's a damn lie!
- You murdered him!
- You murdered him!
Maybe we should move
this someplace where
there's more privacy.
Come on, let's go down the street.
Okay, everyone needs to
clear this shop right now.
Come on, have a seat, son.
Come on. Move along, fellas.
Thank you.
Let's start at the beginning.
Bradley's got a lawyer on
the way; let's wait for him.
I've got nothing to hide.
See, Drakes? He wants to talk.
Yeah, I could give a crap.
Okay, let's just slow it down.
Detective Bradley feels justified,
I, for one, would like to hear his part.
I was in a foot pursuit
of a robbery suspect.
I attempted to subdue
him, and he assaulted me.
I pursued him onto Lamarque,
where he disappeared into a crowd.
That's when I saw a man in the crowd.
- Petty Officer Mitchell?
- That's right.
He pulled a weapon,
and in fear for my life,
I proceeded to exercise deadly force.
Story tracks.
Of course it does, 'cause
that's what happened.
Yeah, just one question.
Where is the weapon
Petty Officer Mitchell
allegedly pulled?
Force Investigation Team
is searching for it now.
You didn't secure the gun
after you shot Mitchell?
It was chaos after I
discharged my weapon.
I dragged the suspect away
to cuff him and perform
life-saving measures,
but I was afraid the
crowd would turn on me.
We have two dozen officers
searching for the weapon.
We'll find it.
No...!
No! No!
Ali!
I'm sorry, ma'am. Ma'am,
who is he to you?
That's my son. That's my son.
Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry,
you can't come with us...
What did they do to my son?
I'm sorry.
No, no. Ali.
No...
We got you. We got you.
Ali!
That's not the point.
It doesn't matter. It...
Holloway.
What are you doing here?
HQ sent me to support
Force Investigation.
And, well, Bradley,
I thought he could use a friendly face.
Thanks, Gene.
Hey.
You two go back?
Oh. I was Ted's training officer.
Though I was never trained
for something like this.
Listen, it's gonna be okay, kid.
Just do what the detectives ask you.
Right now that means handing
over your service weapon.
It was a clean shoot. It was.
You're not being singled out.
It's all standard procedure.
You'll get it back once
the investigation's over.
You got to believe me, Gene, he
pulled a weapon. I had no choice.
Of course I believe you.
You say he pulled? He pulled a gun.
Respectfully, they've yet to
find the weapon in question.
- They will.
- I don't need to point out
the optics of the situation.
Not to me you don't, Dwayne.
That's why I'm here.
To make sure everyone
gets their fair shake.
Including Bradley.
Then your collective focus should
be on finding that weapon.
Couldn't agree more.
Because the longer this goes unresolved,
the bigger this powder keg becomes.
...police!
No justice, no peace,
no racist police!
No justice, no peace...
Shooting victim is Petty
Officer Third Class Ali Mitchell.
Construction mechanic, he
has two years in the service.
And we know who killed him.
Question is, was it justified?
Do we have Detective
Bradley's full statement yet?
Yeah, he was investigating
a series of robberies
over the last few months.
Caught the main suspect Gerald Young
in the midst of a robbery
and... made chase.
Yeah. He caught up to Gerald Young.
They fought.
Bradley pursued him into
a crowded street party.
- He had his weapon unholstered?
- Yes.
And when he approached
that street party?
He claims that he announced
himself and his purpose.
Said he couldn't proceed due
to an uncooperative crowd.
Not a surprise, running through a party
with his weapon out.
I'm sure it didn't go over
well in that neighborhood.
And that is when Petty Officer Mitchell
allegedly pulled a firearm
on Detective Bradley.
When he didn't respond to
orders to drop the weapon,
Bradley fired twice, killing Mitchell.
That is a harrowing
tale all the way around.
State police are running point
on the shooting investigation.
What's our role?
Focusing on Ali Mitchell.
See if we can determine how,
exactly, he fits into this situation
and the role he played,
if any, in his own death.
I can tell you right now, this story
of Ali pulling a weapon
on a cop is suspect.
Mitchell's service record
in the Navy is outstanding.
Two letters of commendation
from his commanding officer,
perfect evals, and
he's on the short list
for early promotion to
Petty Officer Second Class.
This is... this, uh, was a stand-up guy.
No, it doesn't sound
like someone that would
pull a gun on a cop.
Bradley's police record
is less impressive.
Seven years on the job
and as many complaints
for excessive force.
We've all got complaints.
Doesn't necessarily mean
the guy's a bad actor.
No, but given the circumstances,
it's worth noting.
Was there a connection between
Gerald Young and Ali Mitchell?
Why? Because they're both black?
What?! No.
Hold on, hold on, hold on.
Let's just take a breath, okay?
Gerald Young and Ali Mitchell
both grew up in the same
neighborhood, okay?
It's a natural question.
The bigger question is: where's the gun?
It's been 12 hours since the shooting.
It still hasn't been found.
Maybe someone picked it up.
Or maybe there is no gun.
Look, this is a sensitive subject.
Let's not make any assumptions
till we've learned things. Yes?
- Gene!
- I-I know I shouldn't be here.
You should not!
But under the circumstances, Loretta,
Bradley spends holidays at my house.
I'm godfather to his son.
Even more reason.
Gene, you're not impartial.
And I couldn't release the
findings if I wanted to.
You know what they're saying, right?
White cop kills unarmed black man,
business as usual for the NOPD.
But that's not Bradley.
They're saying the same
thing about Ali Mitchell,
calling him a thug, that
he deserves to die.
All those opinions are asinine.
And none based in facts.
They're calling him a racist, Loretta.
This same racist
is Big Brother to a kid in the 9th Ward.
Doesn't mean he couldn't make a mistake.
Not this kid.
And that'll be proven
once we find a gun.
If you find a gun.
Now, we are working
hard to get to the truth.
Hope the NOPD is doing the same.
I support Bradley,
and I will overturn every
rock there is to help him.
But I will not be placing
rocks where there are none.
You seem to be everywhere, Holloway.
He was just leaving.
Actually, I was, uh,
hoping to get a coroner's report.
As a courtesy?
I'm okay with that.
In the interest of transparency.
Petty Officer Ali
Mitchell was shot twice.
The first bullet pierced the heart
and exited through the lung cavity.
The second bullet hit the liver
and was lodged inside the spinal cord.
Only thing that really confirms
is that Bradley is responsible
for Petty Officer Mitchell's death.
What a waste of time.
Coming from the crime scene?
Yeah, watching NOPD and state police
look for a gun that doesn't exist.
- What you got here?
- I'm watching surveillance
and social media videos from last night.
You find anything?
Well, we got the shooting
from almost every angle,
backing Bradley's story
that he announced himself.
What we don't have is anything
showing us what was in Mitchell's hand.
- Learn anything else?
- Yeah.
The court of public opinion has
already taken sides on this.
- _
- This is going viral.
Proof that Ali Mitchell was
a shot caller in a gang.
Well, that's Alpha Phi Alpha.
Those are fraternity mentees.
It gets worse.
Oh, clearly somebody doctored this.
Ha, relax, bruh.
It doesn't take a computer
specialist to see that.
I got to dig up every
bone on Ali Mitchell
to see if he really had a violent past.
Hold on.
Why help NOPD build a case?
That's not what I'm doing at all.
Knowledge is power, baby.
Look, the more information
we have on Ali Mitchell,
the better it is for us
to follow the evidence
to get to the truth.
Okay. What truth do you see?
That Ali Mitchell is dead.
It's Pride.
State police got a warrant
to look for Gerald Young
at his girlfriend's place.
He wants me to meet him there.
Thanks.
You can't just barge in here like this.
You need to focus and tell
me where Gerald Young is.
He's not here. I can tell you that.
Haven't seen him in weeks.
- Sure you haven't.
- This is an abuse
of power and police brutality.
It's like y'all are just looking
- to frame people.
- Hey, you need
to calm down, or I'll have you
removed from the premises.
You can't have me removed.
My baby's in the other room sleeping.
Then you better behave.
NCIS, ma'am.
I'm sorry for the inconvenience.
Yeah. We'll be out of your
hair in no time, promise.
Great.
They woke up my baby,
and I just got him down.
Can you not hear him crying in there?
Hey, hey, it's okay. I'll escort her.
Thanks.
Hey, little man.
I got you.
Hey.
How you doing, there, little man?
Thanks for your help out there.
Come on.
Aw, I'd be upset, too.
Bunch of strangers in my
house during my nap time.
I'm sorry, buddy.
We're done here. Let's go.
Ma'am.
Thanks for your help.
Hey. Look, not all cops are jerks, okay?
If you need anything,
anything at all, give me a call.
All right?
You know, that could have been
handled differently.
I've been executing warrants
for 20 years, Special Agent.
Yeah, imagine what you could accomplish
by showing some respect when you did it.
So, uh,
what is the status on the weapon search?
Haven't found it yet, but we got a tip
that someone in the
crowd may have swiped it.
Dumped it nearby.
I'll keep you updated regardless.
You know, no matter how right
you may be, you don't
always have to express
every thought that crosses your mind.
Yeah, I'll take that under advisement.
But look what I found
in Jasmine's apartment.
I guess Gerald and Mitchell were close.
Why would you confiscate
that and keep it from Cooper?
Please tell me you're not
trying to bury evidence, either.
No, Pride. I figure we should
get the complete story before
our friends over there jump
to all kinds of conclusions.
So, instead you're
jumping to conclusions,
ignoring procedure, because you assume
that the system is
rigged against Mitchell.
It's not an assumption, okay?
It's experience living in
this world as a black man.
The staties are gonna
say Mitchell's a crook.
And you can bet the picture
they provide the media,
it won't be a graduation photo.
The entire team is working
hard to give Mitchell justice.
But that is not strategic,
it's not how we operate.
And if anyone found out, we
could get kicked off the case.
And that would not help Mitchell.
Now I'm forwarding a copy of that photo
to Detective Cooper.
You know, you're so busy
trying to remain neutral.
There's nothing neutral
about this situation.
New rule.
I don't assume to know your experience
and you don't assume to know mine.
Fair?
We know Ali Mitchell
and Gerald Young were friends.
But we don't know how deep it went.
And if Mitchell was involved
in any criminal activity.
Well, we scrubbed
every inch of his past.
There was no hint of
criminal involvement.
He had a juvenile record,
but that's been expunged.
But Gerald Young's juvie
record hasn't been expunged.
Maybe Young's record could give us
insight into Ali Mitchell's past.
Guilt by association.
Hey, I'm not the enemy here, okay?
Hey! You're the one who
found the photograph.
Look, Gerald Young didn't start violent.
There's some, uh, grand
theft auto, shoplifting,
marijuana possession.
Gerald's list of known associates
has two redacted names.
Ali Mitchell could've been one of them.
Okay, even if it was,
this is eight years ago.
He's obviously cleaned up his act,
or else he wouldn't be in the Navy.
- It's not relevant.
- Yeah,
but the NOPD won't see it that way.
They're gonna say that he fell back
into his old life with
his old friend Gerald.
That he was a probable accomplice
in the warehouse robberies.
They're gonna say that Gerald knew
exactly where to run to save himself,
and Ali Mitchell was
there waiting, armed.
Yeah, sure. Except for one little thing.
There is no gun. All this time,
- Detective Bradley claims to have seen
- When?
Ali Mitchell pull a weapon.
Close to 24 hours later,
and it's still not in evidence.
Not so sure about that.
State police just found a gun.
Been on the phone with
the governor's office.
They want a press conference to update
the shooting investigation
and quell the growing unrest.
Bit premature with no
actual updates yet.
We found the weapon
Detective Bradley says
Petty Officer Mitchell brandished.
Weapon hasn't even been analyzed.
Bradley saw a gun, we found a gun.
In my experience,
the straightest line leads to the truth.
A gun was found three
blocks from the crime scene,
hidden behind a loose brick
in an abandoned building.
Not exactly a straight line.
It's progress.
And the governor isn't asking.
He wants a joint press
conference. United front.
I'd just as soon wait for
the analysis of the gun.
And frankly,
I'd like my team to perform it.
The state's lab is perfectly
capable of analyzing a firearm.
You'll get the report
once it's complete.
And I'll be happy to participate
in your press conference
once I do.
Dwayne,
be reasonable.
This could lead to riots in the streets.
It'll be worse if we get it wrong, Gene.
I wonder what they're discussing.
Probably how far to throw
Mitchell under the bus.
Not Pride. Still too many
unanswered questions.
Yeah, like where that
gun's been this whole time.
And how it magically appeared.
We have all the pieces,
they just don't seem to fit.
There's one person who might be able
to shed some light on this Gerald Young.
Bradley was chasing him
- before the shooting.
- No, He's a fugitive now.
Every cop in the state is after him.
What if we take another crack
at his girlfriend Jasmine?
Not treat her like a suspect.
She could give us the inside scoop.
Worth a try.
I'm not asking for myself, Pride.
I'm asking for Bradley.
A press conference could help him.
He's been receiving death threats.
Last night they threw a
brick through his window.
He deserves a fair shake, too.
Oh, I'm not so sure he does.
And who are you?
Special Agent Carter, investigating
- Ali Mitchell's shooting.
- Well,
maybe Pride neglected to
tell you, they found the gun.
The investigation's over.
That's not how investigations work.
Son, I know how investigations work.
I don't need a lecture
from the freshman class.
Does the food taste better
in the house than in the field?
Boy, who the hell do you think you are?
- That's enough, Carter.
- No, no, no. He started this.
Let him finish.
Well?
Hmm.
Know what?
I got a lead I need to follow anyway.
Hmm.
Who the hell is this kid?
I need this.
Hannah.
- Go with him, please.
- Okay.
What was that about
back there, with Holloway?
Don't worry about it.
Oh, well, I am worried.
'Cause we're about to talk to a witness
that might be the only
person that can help us,
and you're distracted.
Believe it or not,
I want to help.
- You can't.
- You're not the only person
that's ever experienced
discrimination, you know?
- I never said I was.
- Yeah,
but you made a few assumptions about me
back there that weren't fair.
Maybe.
Let's work together on this, okay?
Because, look, I may not
have walked in your shoes,
but I'm gonna have your back.
What can I do?
You can give me a hand.
Just brought you some
things for the baby.
Uh, diapers, snacks, milk.
I'll take the groceries, but I'm
not giving Gerald up to you.
That's okay.
I just want to give
this back to you, too.
Figured those other cops took it.
Ali and Gerald were real close, huh?
Almost like brothers.
But everybody loved Ali.
He was a good man.
We know Gerald got into some trouble
back then. Was Ali part of that?
As teenagers, yeah.
But it was just kid stuff,
and Ali grew out of
it after junior year.
He found a new interest.
- What was that?
- The Navy.
Recruiter came by the
school. Took to Ali.
Said he had potential.
Helped clean up his
record, changed his life.
This is really important, Jasmine.
Was Ali helping Gerald with
those warehouse robberies?
Ali? Hell no.
He was the one nagging
Gerald to quit the game.
And Gerald never would've
even asked him to join in.
He respected the path that Ali took.
Do you think it's possible
that he had a gun on
him the other night?
No, ma'am.
Not possible.
And Gerald would tell you the same.
I'd like to hear what he has to say.
Come on, you've seen the news.
How they're portraying Ali.
Like some kind of thug.
Look, we're trying to clear his name.
Okay, Gerald's statement
could really help.
Jasmine, you're the mother of a son.
A black son.
Imagine something like that
happens to him one day.
Then his legacy was
tarnished by these lies.
Now think about Ali's mother, Jasmine.
Tell us where Gerald is.
Jasmine doesn't know where Gerald is,
but she gave Carter and
I this list of possibilities.
Okay, so this is the closest we've come
- to finding him so far.
- Yeah.
- Let's get warrants and search them.
- Yeah, yeah.
Hey, hold up, hold up.
Y'all need to see this.
- _
- My son Ali...
...was a good man.
He didn't deserve to leave
this life the way that he did.
And now they're calling him a thug.
A-a gangbanger, a drug dealer.
They're saying he got
what was coming to him.
Why are they doing this?
God, this woman must
be in a living hell.
The Mitchell family have
been upstanding members
- of this community.
- How many unarmed black men have to die
- before enough is enough?
- Danziger!
Danziger! Danziger!
Danziger! Danziger!
- Danziger!
- Why are they chanting "Danziger"?
Danziger Bridge.
After Hurricane Katrina hit,
police shot six unarmed black
people waiting to get rescued.
Two died.
I never heard about that.
It's not New Orleans' finest hour.
They're not gonna put
that on the brochure.
But it happens all the time.
Hell, I was almost a statistic.
Police pulled me over.
Said I fit the description
of a murder suspect.
Had me sprawled on the
ground with a gun in my face.
That was before my accident, though.
Did things change after that?
Well, people feel sorry for
me because of the chair.
That accident's probably the best thing
that ever happened to me.
Oh, come on, Patton, really?
Look, don't get me
wrong. I miss walking.
But the police don't treat
me the same no more.
It's as if the chair erased my race.
I'm no longer seen as a threat.
As if you could ever be threatening.
Thank you, baby.
But it is a problem for black men.
Carter probably has his own stories.
And I'm positive that Wade
had the talk with her two boys
about how to act, not if, but when
they get stopped by the police.
It's just a fact of life.
At least for now.
Got your message. What's so urgent?
Well,
I'm not supposed to have this.
It's not official yet.
But a friend of mine at the state lab
slipped it to me.
Analysis of the weapon
state police found?
Yeah.
30 distinct different
fingerprints were lifted.
None belonging to Ali Mitchell.
My friend at the lab thinks
it's a community gun, whatever that is.
People on probation or parole
will hide guns in public areas,
rather than hold on their person
and risk going back to jail.
Well, whatever kind of gun it was...
it didn't belong to Ali Mitchell.
Watching all these videos,
- I think I'm starting to hallucinate.
- Hey, Sebastian.
Check this out, man. Think
it's happening to me, too.
Look at this.
Well, that's definitely on the video.
Think it might be a gun?
I don't know. Looks more
like a shadow to me.
- How we doing in here?
- Oh, we found something, but
can't quite figure out what it is.
Might not be good news for Ali Mitchell.
It could be a gun, could be a shadow.
But if it was anything,
it would have been
bagged and tagged
right after the shooting.
Unless...
I mean, unless it disappeared
in there.
I could go back to the
scene, take a look.
Uh, yeah, get on it, Sebastian.
Special Agent Pride speaking.
Uh, I-I-I understand, but...
well, I think it's a terrible idea.
We still haven't...
Yes, ma'am.
Understood.
I've just been ordered
to participate in the press conference.
Seems official Washington
wants a united front, too.
I'm Detective Christina Cooper
of the Louisiana State
Police, and lead investigator
for the officer-involved shooting death
of Navy Petty Officer Ali Mitchell
by NOPD Detective Ted Bradley.
Joining me today are
representatives from both
the NOPD
and NCIS.
All of our agencies are working together
to uncover the facts of what happened.
We're making good progress
and intend to release a full report
that will bring satisfaction to
the people of New Orleans.
Is is true Ali Mitchell's gun
has been recovered?
- I cannot comment on any evidence.
- Which means you do
- have a gun in evidence.
- What we have
is being analyzed by
the state forensics lab.
That's a lie!
That's a lie!
Uh, hi. Listen...
Hang on!
I want to make it clear
that there is no evidence
linking Petty Officer Mitchell
to a gun at this time.
No justice, no peace!
No racist police!
No justice, no peace!
What the hell was that, Dwayne?
Setting the record straight.
More like setting the city on fire.
No racist police!
No justice, no peace!
No racist police!
You want to tell me how Pride
got the forensics on a gun
when the state hasn't
released the report?
If you tell me how the media knew
that the state even found a gun?
What are you talking about?
Someone must have
leaked it to them, Gene.
Not me.
Unlike your saintly Pride,
my guys are running
this case by the book.
- Please.
- And why did he
deliberately contradict
Cooper in front of the press?
Because he didn't want
the people to believe
that Ali Mitchell had a
weapon when he didn't.
But you know he had a weapon, Loretta.
It's in the state lab.
- So you did slip it to Pride?
- Just read it, Gene.
A community gun?
And Cooper knew it, too.
That just means we have to
redouble our efforts in the search.
Why can't you consider that Ali Mitchell
didn't have a gun?
Because the kid had a
criminal past, Loretta.
He was best friends with the suspect
that Bradley was chasing.
You want to talk about pasts?
Your friend Bradley has quite
a complaint record himself.
He's a good kid, Loretta.
A good cop.
Why won't you give him
the benefit of the doubt?
Because my CJ could have been
on the other side of his gun!
Or Danny!
Alton Sterling.
Tamir Rice.
- Eric Garner.
- Loretta...
Charles Kinsey, Oscar Grant,
- Philando Castile.
- Stop.
Sandra Bland! Stephon Clark!
Loretta, I get it!
I'm caught in the middle here.
If I go too far one way,
I'm a, I'm a traitor to the badge.
Go too far the other way,
I'm a traitor to the race.
All I want is to be fair.
Stand by a man I've
known for seven years.
Make it better for all of us.
I fail to see how standing by Bradley
is making it better for
anyone but Bradley.
When I joined this department,
there were still some cops
putting bananas in our lockers.
Calling us "gorillas in the midst".
Then you should understand
why the people are upset
about Ali Mitchell.
Of course I do!
But this isn't Danziger.
NOPD has turned a corner.
I mean, the chief is black,
60% of the department is black...
Still doesn't mean Bradley isn't biased.
I was his training officer.
What does it say about me if I could
support him in making
a racist move like that?
He's not that man.
I know his heart.
Maybe you do.
But I can't help but wonder
if Bradley would have been
quick to pull the trigger
if Ali Mitchell was white.
Hey, Pride,
we're at the last location
Jasmine gave us
to look for Gerald Young.
It's a farm belonging to
his uncle outside the city.
Hopefully he's there. Be careful.
The mayor says the city
will be under curfew
until further notice.
- Ready?
- Yeah.
NCIS. Search warrant!
Gerald Young, come out
with your hands up!
Hey! Hey!
He's rabbiting out the back.
Gerald Young?
Boy, I can't tell you
how happy we are to see you.
Figured you might be hungry.
Don't need no friendly act.
Just take me to jail already.
I'm not the one to take you to jail.
Yeah? Okay. Sure.
Look around.
No NOPD. No state police, just...
just me for now.
I want to know about
Ali Mitchell.
He's dead. What else you need to know?
A lot, Gerald.
- You two were tight.
- Yeah, so?
So I'm wondering... if maybe you
were partners in crime, too.
- The warehouse robberies?
- No.
Man.
Look, Ali was a citizen.
He was gonna be somebody.
The fool thought I could
be somebody, too.
- What do you mean?
- He was trying
to get me out the life.
Help me clean up my
record, get into the Navy
or at least a real job, but...
Man, I got a girl and a baby, so...
Night Ali died, you were being
chased by Detective Bradley.
Did you run to the block for Ali's help?
I ran to the block 'cause I
knew the party was going on.
Okay? I could get lost in the crowd.
Didn't even know Ali was gonna be there.
Or that he would even try
to stop me... from running.
He tried to stop you?
He got right up in my face.
Just before that, that cop shot him.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Okay, so you saw Ali
right before he died.
Do you remember seeing
anything in his hands?
I was running for my life, man.
I wasn't thinking about no hands.
Look, I just...
Gerald.
What?
The wrong person is dead.
It was the wrong person.
It should have been me.
Yo.
Still at it, Slim?
Uh, yeah. Just doing my job.
You're willing to get into the
muck to find this phantom gun?
That is dedication.
I'm just not sure to what.
Yeah, look, I, uh, I get why
this case has you so, uh...
- Angry?
- Passionate.
But I am, too. You know, it's our job
to figure out the truth
of what happened.
- We know the truth.
- Yeah, but it hasn't been proven yet.
We know that something flew
out of Ali Mitchell's
hand the other night.
We need to know what.
Mitchell deserves that.
Hell, so does Bradley.
Okay. How can I help?
How expensive is that suit?
You know I meant "help"
in the moral support
meaning of the word?
What are you talking
about? This is the fun part.
You find all kinds of cool
stuff down here, like, uh...
- Hepatitis?
- That's...
Okay, yeah. Well, my therapist says
we're not supposed to dwell
on communicable diseases.
How far down this tunnel
do we have to look?
It's hard to say.
Didn't get a lot of rain yesterday,
so it's pretty shallow.
Maybe we'll get lucky. I don't know.
Wait a minute.
Think I stepped on something.
Check this out.
What'd you find?
If this is round three,
I feel outnumbered.
We don't want to fight, Gene.
Out of courtesy, Pride thinks it's best
we share this with you
before going to Cooper.
What'd you find?
Detective Bradley was
correct when he said
he saw something in Ali
Mitchell's hands that night.
Mm-hmm.
Unfortunately for him,
it wasn't a gun.
You're sure it was Mitchell's?
Ali was recording
as Bradley approached.
Captured his own death, too.
Bro, he's behind me,
bro, he's behind me.
Out of the way! Get
the hell out of the way!
Drop the weapon, drop it now!
What are you doing?
Just not ready to go up there.
It's not on you, Gene, or the NOPD.
It's on Bradley.
One man's actions.
We both know that's not true.
Bradley's a cop.
To the public, he's just further proof
of police bias.
Not all the public.
Works both ways, you know?
When was the last time you heard
of a heinous crime on the news
and prayed the suspect wasn't black?
You can't fix it all today.
What you can do is go up
there and support your friend.
He'll need it.
Bro, he's behind me,
bro, he's behind me.
Get the hell out of the way!
Get the hell out of the way!
Get the hell out of the way!
Drop the weapon! Drop it now!
I was so sure. I mean...
I was convinced he had a gun.
I messed up, Gene.
I messed up.
What happens to Bradley now?
Will he be brought up on charges?
Not likely.
Fired?
Probably not.
Fact is, Bradley
thought he saw a gun.
He feared for his life.
Maybe he could have
taken longer to react.
Maybe he was biased.
But the shooting was within
NOPD policy guidelines.
But where's the justice?
This mother's lost her child.
I've worked half a dozen
cases like this in my career,
and honestly there is no justice.
Just compensation
from the police department's
insurance fund.
Ali's mother can take some comfort
in his vindication.
His legacy will remain
a positive one.
And Bradley?
What's his legacy?
Hey, baby. You heading out?
Yeah, I'm about to meet up
with a friend from the NOPD
- for a drink before the vigil.
- That's nice.
I don't blame you, man.
Hey. Turn that up.
I have served in law
enforcement for seven years.
And although I love my job
and I loved working with the community,
I can no longer do
the job in good faith.
As a result, and to help
the city that I love to heal,
I am resigning from the New
Orleans Police Department
effective immediately.
My sincerest apologies
to Petty Officer Mitchell's
family and friends.
I hope my resignation can
come as some small solace
during this difficult time.
I also hope the community can
look past my grievous
mistake and continue
to build bridges with the NOPD.
- Thank you.
- Detective...
Oh, wow. That was unexpected.
Yeah, well, at least he did
the right thing by resigning.
Split-second decision like that,
alone at night, in a crowd,
adrenaline pumping?
I'd like to say I wouldn't
fire, but I just don't know.
One thing for sure.
Everybody has a bias, even
if you're unaware of it.
Things will get better. We
just got to just keep pushing.
Keep open. Keep real.
You really believe that, Patton?
Like MLK said, "The moral
arc of the universe is long,
but it bends towards justice".
Is this spot taken?
I was hoping I'd see you.
You know, I never did get a
chance to apologize to you
for, for everything.
No need to apologize.
Well, I did let my bullheadedness
- get the best of me.
- Yeah...
You're a good cop,
Gene, and a good friend.
And if I were in your place,
I'd fight just as hard.
Well, I'm... tired of fighting.
I just want to pay my
respects like everyone else.
My name is Nessa Mitchell.
Ali was my son.
I can't tell you how gratified I am
to see all of New Orleans
come out together
in his honor.
My baby was the light of my
life and the joy in my heart.
He was taken too soon.
Yes, he was.
But his light and his joy will shine on.
Yes, it will.
We will never forget you, baby.
May your days be filled talking to God,
walking with Jesus...
...and resting in power.
Amen.
♪ Lift every voice ♪
♪ And sing ♪
♪ Till Earth and heaven ring ♪
♪ Ring with the harmonies ♪
♪ Of liberty ♪
♪ Let our rejoicing rise ♪
♪ High as the listening skies ♪
♪ Let it resound ♪
♪ Loud as the rolling sea ♪
♪ Facing the rising sun ♪
♪ Of our new day ♪
♪ Begun ♪
♪ Let us march on ♪
♪ Till victory ♪
♪ Is won. ♪