The Closer (2005–2012): Season 5, Episode 5 - Half Load - full transcript
Brenda and her team investigate the shooting death of Reggie Gray, a gardener who worked at a community center run by Father Jack, with whom Brenda's had previously had dealings. The shooting is peculiar in many ways. Reggie was a reformed gang member, having served his time, and from all accounts was on the straight and narrow. There are no gun casings at the scene and no one nearby claims to have heard any shots. Four gangs dominate the area, and Reggie had recently painted over some gang graffiti, which turns out to be a dead end. They get a break in the case when a gas station attendant reports a confrontation between two gang members and the owner of a luxury car.
Ook at our freeways this morning trouble
in the city area, southbound 405 ...
disabled tractor trailer off
to the right hand side ...
Can we
just --
You know, we don't
have to do this today.
No! No, no. These -- these things
could be used by other cats.
Good morning, sergeant gabriel.
Morning, chief. We just landed a
body at the crenshaw community center.
Oh, no. Isn't that father jack's place?
Yeah.You want me to come by and pick
you up or give you directions or --
I know where it is.
Uh, no, no. I'll, um
-- I'll be right there.
Doesn't look like much.
Maybe I'll wait, then.
Chief's here. Appreciate it.
Chief, agent howard, sorry
to cut into your weekend.
Our, uh, victim is a
35-year-old male, black.
Single gunshot to the back of the head.
Was discovered around
7:00 A.M.This morning.
Take a guess who found him.
Father jack.
Victim's name is, uh, reginald gray.
He did maintenance work
for the community center,
but he's paid by father jack's
church, which is where he was living.
This is a major crime because...
the community center's city-owned,
which immediately makes it our problem.
Where's S.I.D.?
- I told them not to come, chief.
- Why?
There's nothing for them
to do. Victim was shot once.
There's no casings, no
weapon, no witnesses.
And father jack over there says
that the victim, reggie gray --
who's still on parole, by the way -- is
some kind of like ex-con turned saint.
Actually, what the father said is
that reggie had no known enemies
and was well-liked in the
neighborhood, lieutenant.
Yeah? Well, he doesn't
look very popular to me.
Ricardo, this is father jack.
- Nice to meet you, father jack.I'm ricardo ramos.
- Be right back.
I got a few questions for you.
Why is commander taylor forever
bringing that reporter around?
Morning, chief.
I know how it looks, but chief pope believes
if ramos is getting father jack's side,
then he should get ours, too.
Well, I don't know what our side is yet.
Look, just -- just keep him away
from me as long as possible, please.
All right.
Haven't touched a thing, chief.
Called the coroner and
gave me a one-hour E.T.A.,
But it looks like reggie here's
been dead for quite a while.
Why is he damp?
Sprinklersooff every night at 10:00.
So he must have been
murdered before that.
Neighbors didn't hear gunfire.
Around here, they never do.
look, I-I-I can't go anywhere
until the body's taken away.
Why don't I take kitty's things down
to the shelter, save you the trip down?
No, no. We should do it together.
You finish your simple investigation.
I'll dispose of kitty's earthly effects.
Okay. Thanks.
Looks like he's got a wallet in his
back pocket, so it wasn't a robberY.
Well, if it wasn't a robbery, why
else would someone want to kill him?
- You want an alphabetical list?
- Fire away.
"A," asshole. "B,"
because. "C," criminal.
Excuse me, lieutenant?
Do you always begin a murder investigation
by assassinating the victim's character?
Actually, father, what lieutenant
flynn here meant to say is how sad it is
that we're always meeting up again
under such tragic circumstances.
Any reason why someone might
want to see this man dead?
No, none at all.
And I'm not just saying that
because reggie worked for me.
Reggie was dedicating his life
to improving this community.
Do you see that wall there?
Reggie painted over the graffiti on it
constantly with supplies he bought himself.
And he mentored several middle
schoolers, keeping them out of gangs!
Yeah, that's right, lieutenant. That's
the kind of wretched human being he was.
I understand that reggie
lived in your church.
We're gonna have to
search through his room.
Do you have a warrant?
Well, no, but since he's a parolee, we can
search through his quarters anytime we like.
Oh, no, no, no. Now, wait a minute. No.
You're allowed to search his
quarters when reggie was alive.
Now he's dead.
- Is he reggie gray?
- Excuse me?
Uh, commander taylor's point, father,
is tt until the coroner arrives,
we can't remove the victim's wallet
and check his driver's license.
Officially, we don't
know who this man is.
I just identified him
for you! He worked for me!
I'm afraid that doesn't work
as an official identification.
Well, I'm -- I'm a little confused,
because his name tag says "reggie."
Well, if there's one thing you've taught me,
ricardo, it's "don't believe everything you read."
I-I tell you what -- while we're sorting through the
legal ins and outs of searching the victim's room,
uh, commander taylor, if you could please
take a walk through the community center.
It's city-owned, so we
don't need a search warrant.
Just make sure that nothing's
broken into or missing.
- Well, I need to be present for that.
- Fine.
Feel welcome to join me, father.
Ricardo, you too. You too.
Still got that parole
officer's number on speed dial?
- Sure do, chief.
- All right.
Uh, lieutenant provenza, when
the parole officer arrives,
would you and lieutenant flynn please
supervise the search of reggie's room?
Sergeant gabriel, would you handle the
notification of the victim's family?
Thank you. And, uh, detective sanchez, what
else do I need to know about this neighborhood?
Oh, thank you.
Okay.
So, what do we have here?
It's gang central L.A., Chief.
There's big overlap out there of
black, brown, and a little white.
There's three regular gangs and then
one made up of all the gang rejects.
That's what we call
"affirmative-action gangsters."
Okay. And, uh, who does what?
Well, over there... Dope.
Over there... Weapons.
And over there, chief... Car theft.
Over there... More dope.
Gang, gang, gang, gang.
So I'm guessing reggie's death
had something to do with gangs,
which is why no one in the
neighborhood will talk to us.
And reggie's room at the church?
Oh, outreach pamphlets, handyman
books, a blessed mother statue.
Now, father jack was
right about one thing.
Reggie painted over some graffiti three
times last month, including yesterday.
So you can bet some gangsters
were pretty unhappy about that.
There's a new sandblast technique
for removing a single layer of paint.
Want me to order it up?
I think we should, lieutenant.
You know, the last
time we dealt with him,
everyone said that father jack's
place was off-limits to gangs.
Yeah, it still is, but
reggie's older. He did time.
Maybe he made some enemies
we don't know about, chief.
Sergeant gabriel, how
did the notification go?
Well, reggie's mother
was devastated, but, um,
she confirms what father jack said that reggie had
turned his life around, no problems with anyone.
Then how did he end up dead?
Did commander taylor notice anything
missing at the community center?
Father jack said that there
was nothing out of place.
And reggie's known associates from
his gang years are all dead and buried.
So every cloud does
have a silver lining.
I'm sorry to interrupt, but I-I applied for this
federal grant to upgrade our surveillance equipment,
and I think I got it, but I-I
need help translating this letter.
What language is it in?
- Uh, government.
- Ah, yeah. Here, buzz. I read government.
"in accordance with the terms and conditions of
the american recovery and reinvestment act" --
da, da, da, here it is -- "for new surveillance and
communications equipment, "you have on account...
- 70000"
- Really?
Oh, my god.
Now, why would the feds
give you that kind of money?
Well, I promised to spend
it really fast, and I can.
Speaking of fast, chief, the
morgue has a prelim ready.
The bullet entered the soft
tissue right below the skull.
But for a .32 caliber,
didn't penetrate very deeply.
.32 caliber's a semiautomatic -- would
have kicked out a casing at the crime scene.
We didn't find one.
It may be a professional hit, and they
grabbed the casing and took it with them.
What else do you know?
Our victim is a former
gang member out on parole,
and I've got a priest
who thinks he's a saint.
Well, I don't know about saint, but he meets
the first big requirement for martyrdom.
And he was having this tattoo removed.
Maybe somebody felt insulted by that.
Because when I see this type of
injury, we're talking execution.
But no stippling, no sooting, which means
the shooter wasn't very close when he fired.
Hey, doc, what if the, uh -- what if
the shooter stood like 20, 30 yards away,
like, you know, from across the street?
With a .32? That'd be a
hell of a shot, sergeant.
What if the gun malfunctioned
or the bullet was a half load?
Oh, well, um, a bad primer
could account for some of this.
But honestly, the bullet
doesn't tell me much.
Well, it's got to tell
us something, doctor.
Look, w-we'll take it to ballistics.
Hey, uh, chief, the people in that
neighborhood know something. They always do.
Why don't we set up a meeting at the community
center and see if they can help us find the gun?
We talk to them directly.
- You want me to share information with civilians?
- Yes.
Absolutely not! I'm
not doing that, ever.
Just as well, really.
Why's that?
You don't have any information to share.
So, you chose my day off to execute an
illegal search of father jack's church?
There was nothing illegal about it.
A parole officer visited
the victim's quarters.
We only went along to make
sure it all went smoothly.
Come on, brenda. Are you deliberately
trying to antagonize this guy?
He is deliberately antagonizing me!
I am looking for a killer, and, as usual, father
jack has been uncooperative every step of the way.
What am I supposed to do about that?
Well, for starters, you can
help me calm his holiness,
even if it means you have to
behave like a nun to do it.
It's bad enough the L.A.P.D.Won't respect our
outreach program to these children and gangs,
but when one of our own becomes a target
and we're being treated like suspects,
that's another thing altogether!
We don't need more
suspicion. We need answers.
We're searching for those answers.
In my church and without a warrant and
without responding to any of our questions.
We just got this case six hours ago.
We can't pluck witnesses
and guns out of thin air.
Miracles like that fall more under
your jurisdiction than mine, father.
All right, look, we are all
after the same thing here.
- And what makes you say that?
- Well...
you want to find reggie
gray's killer, don't you?
Of course I do!
But how do I know the L.A.P.D.Isn't using his
murder to start another witch hunt in my parish?
Let's bring your community together.
We'll talk to them directly.
- Seriously?
- Absolutely.
You'd be willing to speak with
my people in an open dialogue?
Oh, I don't think a community
meeting is really a good idea.
That is a fantastic idea.
We can tell the people what we know,
and they could do the same for us.
It'll show the community how
seriously we're taking this crime.
Well, I have to warn you.
My community feels abandoned.
They're angry about reggie's death,
and trust me, they won't go easy on you.
We can take it, father. Try us.
Police see the same
things day in and day out!
People getting shot, getting their
cars stolen, drugs sold on the corner!
Now, why can't the police stop that?
I understand your frustration.
We came here specifically tonight to find ways
that we might help each other put an end to that.
I saw you guys taking
paint off the wall outside.
Do you think some gang members shot
reggie for covering up their graffiti?
We checked into that, ma'am, and that was
done by a local tagger, not a gang member.
But like all of you, we are trying very hard
to figure out why this happened to mr. Gray.
A-a-and anything that you know
about the shooting last night,
even the smallest detail, could help us.
Uh, chief johnson, have you narrowed
down any possible motives yet?
No, uh, but thank you for asking that,
because I'm especially interested in motives.
Sometimes knowing why someone was shot can take
us a very, very long way into figuring out who --
so, somebody got murdered, and
you want us to figure it out?
How do we know we'll even be
protected if we tell you anything?
You can't even protect this
community center anymore!
I bet this has something to do
with reggie's stint in prison.
No! No, it didn't!
My son, reggie --
he paid his debt.
He straightened out his life.
He didn't deserve this!
He was trying to make
something better for hisself,
to make up for all the wrong
he did, with humility...
and love... and hard work!
And if we can't turn this place
around with spirit like that...
then one of you is gonna be
sitting where I am tomorrow...
or next week... or next year!
Mourning the loss of your only child...
how many children do we have
to bury before this ends, huh?
When is this going to end?
When?
The police don't care.
No. No, sir, we do. We care
very much. That's why we're here.
Yeah, you say that, but last night,
we had another run-in at the central
food and gas mart down the street.
I mean, someone started shooting at people,
and the police just drove through and left.
Uh, uh, sir, many times,
if there's no one there when the officers
arrive, they move on to their next call.
You tell us to call when
people put up graffiti.
And then we go back and paint over it, someone
else comes back, does it all over again.
Provenza.
Uh, would you please call buzz and, uh,
and send everyone over to this gas station,
check it out for signs
of a possible shooting,
and see if there was a radio
call or a report made about it?
- Thanks.
- Yes, ma'am.
Miss, why don't you tell them about
the crimes that you are seeing?
What crimes can we talk about with a guarantee
of protection? Have you thought about that?
Ma'am, I assure you, the entire force is doing
everything we can to keep your neighborhood safe.
I won't even take my
family out at night anymore.
We're afraid to go out after dark.
And that should not be the case.
*********
So tonight, we have two of the officers
here who patrol your neighborhood.
Standing there at the
back after the meeting,
feel free to address any specific
concerns you may have with them.
- Did you guys find anything yet?
- Not yet.
Buzz. Over here.
I think I found something.
.32 caliber.
We got three more over here.
You want to get this, buzz?
Two in here, and you got one down here.
Lieutenant tao...
Do you still carry
around those geeky lasers?
I-I promise we're gonna do everything
we can to find out why this happened.
I hope so, chief johnson.
And not just for my sake.
People here need to believe in you.
They need to know you're
going to do something.
They need to see it.
Please.
Yeah.
- Chief.
- Yes.
I just talked to flynn.
No report was filed on any shooting
last night at that food and gas mart,
but there was a 911
reported from their phone.
Caller said shots were
fired. Patrol car was sent.
No one was there, so they
kept going. Now, get this.
Flynn says they just foundsome .
32 casings in their parking lot.
- Okay.
- You need to be shaking hands with people.
Not you, lieutenant.
Uh, I need to run out
just for one quick minute.
No, no, no, no, chief johnson,
you're not going anywhere right now.
There's some
casings --
you cannot invite these people here
to meet you a-and then just leave.
Chief, why don't you just -- you
stay here and press the flesh,
and I'll keep you posted
on anything going on.
Here we go.
Hey, julio. We're ready.
Okay. Flynn, are you in position?
I'm at the community center.
- Okay. Are you ready to film this?
- All set.
Okay, lieutenant tao, point it
away from your body like a gun
and go to your left towards
flynn at the community center.
Okay. Good. Keep going. Good. Good.
Tao, julio, are you guys still
there? I don't see anything yet.
Tao... lower it just a little.
Oh, I see it now.
It's hitting me, and I'm right
where reggie was standing.
Tao, I see a direct path for the
bullet that killed reggie gray.
Looks like he was shot in
somebody else's gunfight.
What kind of sense does that make?
I mean, come on.
Sure is quiet in here.
Doesn't have to be this quiet, you know?
We could use this bedroom for something
other than your unsolved cases.
After last night, this room may not be
big enough for my unsolved cases, honestly.
But it could hold a kid.
We could turn this room
into a nursery in just...
a few months maybe.
You should have seen my
victim's mother last night.
She stood up and talked about
how much she loved her son.
She never gave up on him
through prison and parole.
She was helping him
turn his life around.
And then one night...
shot dead, probably
by a-a random bullet,
for no better reason than he was just
standing in the wrong place at the wrong time.
When I know how easily...
these things happen, how can I
even think about having children?
The same way E.R.Doctors do...
and undertakers... and soldiers.
And you could ask the same
question about getting married.
How many times have you stepped up to some
poor woman to say her husband isn't coming home?
And we still said "I do."
That I couldn't help.
You're so great at imaging the worst.
That's part of why
you're good at your job.
But try, just... for a minute...
imagining something better.
911. What's your emergency?
Yeah. These guys are in
a parking lot, fighting.
Someone just fired a gun.
Hold on, sir. What's your name?
- Tommy martinez.
- What's your location, tommy?
20th and crenshaw -- the
central food and gas mart.
Okay, tommy, I'm going to
dispatch a unit to your location.
Stay on the line, please.
Wait, wait, wait. I
think they're leaving.
Hello? Are you still there?
I'm still here. The
patrol car is coming.
That was very brave of you to make
that call, tommy, so thank you for that.
What else can you tell
me about that night?
The boys in the parking lot...
how many were there?
I don't remember.
Do you remember who fired the gun?
I didn't see anything.
I just heard shots.
Were they older than you? Younger?
Listen, lady, the only reason I took this
job is so I could save up money for college.
That call I made -- that's just
'cause there was kids around.
So why don't you leave me alone?
I'm in enough trouble as it is.
I wouldn't be asking you these questions if it
wasn't a matter of life and death for someone.
Life and death.
Okay, look...
I saw a guy with a nice
cadillac, screaming...
at some other guys to get
away from it. That's it.
Did they threaten him
or try to shoot him?
No, no, no. The guy in -- in the car
-- he's the one who fired the gun.
I thought you said you didn't see that.
All right.
I'll tell you about the guy in
the car that -- that shot his gun.
But I'm not gonna say anything
to you about those gangsters.
If they knew that I was sitting here
talking to you, they'd come after me.
Come on, man. You know. Tell her.
What gang?
N.D.S.Two of them.
I don't know their names, but, uh, I
recognized their faces from the neighborhood.
N.D.S are the 19th street destroyers.
It's the affirmative-action
gang I was telling you about.
Um, they have a big chop-shop
operation, mostly high-end car parts.
You recognized these boys?
Okay. How about this --
what color was the cadillac?
Look, tommy, I understand that
growing up in your neighborhood,
you must get really good at
imagining how bad things can be.
But... try...
just for a minute, to
imagine something better.
Because that's what we're trying to do --
make a safer place for you and your family.
You can make a difference. You can.
How about this instead?
I wrote down the license-plate
number of the cadillac.
You -- you wrote down the license-plate number,
and -- and you didn't show it to the police?
I never had a chance.
By the time you guys got
there, everyone was gone.
Cops just... rolled through.
They didn't even stop.
Don't look so surprised, lady.
See, that's the way you always do us.
His name is kelvin blake.
Registered owner of the vehicle. Age 38.
He lives over on arlington, about a
mile and a half from the service station.
Honestly, chief, seems like a nice guy.
Who has a rap sheet, even
though it's from 20 years ago.
Still -- drugs,
petty theft.
Works as a foreman for m&f
construction company now.
Employed there for the last 10 years.
So at least kelvin can hold down a job,
and he turned in his gun voluntarily.
- Thank you.
- Ballistics finished their report.
The bullet that killed
reggie came from that gun.
Still doesn't prove
he pulled the trigger.
- Chief johnson...
- yes.
I spoke to my robbery guys.
There's been a string of high-end
carjackings recently within a few miles
of father jack's community center.
I bet mostly with the N.D.S.
So, uh, you think this kelvin blake
guy's responsible for the shooting?
Well, hopefully, we'll know soon enough.
- Chief.
- Yes.
enrique santos and alonso garcia.
How'd you do that?
Put together some photo lineups.
And I told him, "if our shooter
here picks out the same guys,
you would never have to go to courT."
And he believed you?
Why do people ever talk to us?
All right. Uh, thank you. These,
uh -- these will be very helpful.
Now, if you and lieutenant flynn could
track down mr. Santos and mr. Garcia,
bring them in there, thank you.
Yes, ma'am.
Good evening, mr. Blake.
I'm deputy chief johnson.
I want to thank you so much for being
so cooperative with my detectives.
I'm happy to help out.
Tell you the truth, you know,
these gangsters -- they got friends.
I'd rather just forget
about the whole thing.
Well, unfortunately, sir, discharging a
firearm in a public place is against the law.
So just forgetting about the
whole thing isn't an option.
I understand you were read
and waived your rights.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I -- I
was just protecting myself.
Why don't you start by walking us
through what happened last friday night?
Okay. I got off work late.
Didn't feel like making dinner, so I thought
I'd go by the gas mart and grab a hot dog.
And what time was that?
9:00. Little after 9:00.
Okay. And so?
So I pulled in.
And I'm standing at the register when I look out
and I see two boys coming from across the street.
And I-I recognized the look on their
faces, 'cause it's my hood, right?
And I'm thinking, "I got to get
back in my car before they steal it."
So I ran out, jumped
in the driver's seat.
But they stood behind me. See,
they wouldn't let me back out.
Did they threaten you in any way?
Yes! They told me to get out of the car.
This is the gun that, uh...
you gave my detectives, correct?
Yes, ma'am.
I mean, I knew people were gonna be
after my car. I mean, the rims alone.
I just thought I needed a
little firepower to hold onto it.
So, wait, you bought a car that you
thought you needed a gun to hang on to?
Wait a second. Wait a second.
Let's just -- let's just back up.
You got to understand, I mean, I worked my
whole life to be able to have a car like that.
There was no way I was gonna let them
gangsters take my cadillac from me.
I mean, you would have done
the same thing, right, man?
Just... what happened next, sir?
So they told me to get out the car.
So I did, only they didn't
know I was armed, you know?
So right away, I point the gun
at them. I told them to back off.
They just laugh at me, like -- like I'm
joking, tell me to give them my keys or else.
One of them said, "homey, I'm
gonna look great in your car."
I thought, "the hell
you are," so I just...
capped off a few
rounds over their heads.
And what did they do?
They ran, both of them, talking about
"I'm gonna get you. I'm gonna get you."
I want you to think about
this very carefully, kelvin.
What was going on in your mind
when you pulled out the gun?
I was afraid, you
know? I'm still afraid.
I mean, I got to drive
down that street every day.
I knew they'd probably remember
what I look like and my car.
I knew they'd remember that, too.
Probably come and find
me, just like you guys did.
Which is why it's so important that you identify
these men so that they can't come and find you.
So if you could, um, please
take a look at these gentlemen,
tell me if you recognize anyone.
Yeah, that's one of them right there.
That's the other one.
- You sure?
- Yeah, yeah. That's them.
Okay. Thanks.
So, kelvin, tell me, um,
when you fired those rounds,
did you ever wonder where
they were gonna end up?
No.
Why? What happened?
When you shot at those boys, one of the bullets
went on for a while -- two whole blocks --
and ended up in the back
of the head of a man ...
- by the name of reggie gray.
- No, no, no.
- He died instantly.
- Oh, no, no, no, no!
Oh, my
god!Oh, my --
I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt
nobody. I didn't mean -- oh, my god!
Oh, man! Did he have a family? Did he...
******
So, sanchez and i spent all night
looking for these two dirtbags.
We finally found them this morning,
walking up to the same service station.
Probably gonna jack another car.
What's this?
We can now monitor the electronics room
and the interview room from out here...
and from two angles.
Or just one. Or this one.
And it's wireless. Pretty cool, huh?
Tao, would you stop moving
the picture around, damn it?
Y-you're making me
dizzy. Settle somewhere.
- Man, I want something to eat.
- Yeah.
I'm not your waiter.
You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say can and will be
used against you in a court of law.
- You have the right to an attorney.If you can't afford a lawyer...
- It's, like, amazing.
excuse me for a minute.
Settle someplace, tao!
Now I'm not kidding!
Did you understand what I just told you?
Alonso and enrique's rap sheets.
And we just got positive I.D.S on both of
them for three other recent carjackings --
one at the same gas
station a few weeks ago.
Thank you, sergeant.
Let's see what our busy little
gangsters have to say for themselves.
Gentlemen... thank you
so much for joining us.
Stand up.
- You're welcome, bitcH.
- Well...
so much for hello.
Do you have any idea why we
asked you to pop by here today?
Alonso?
You want to have my baby?
I'll tell you this one time.
You better show some respect!
Or else. Stand here.
Let's, uh -- let's
start over, shall we?
Uh, I believe that you gentlemen were shot
at in the parking lot at the central food
and gas mart on crenshaw
the night before last.
Does that ring any bells?
Uh, lieutenant...
I think we found the
guy who shot at you.
That's why you're here.
- Y-you talking about that fool?
- Do you recognize him, enrique?
Yeah, the crazy bastard was at the
filling station the other night.
He was waving his gun around,
shouting some bullshit.
But we left after he started shooting.
Shooting? At who?
What do you mean, "at who"? At us.
Now, why would this
man fire his gun at you?
Did something happen?
Did you maybe pay too much
attention to his brand-new cadillac?
It's a nice car, yeah.
But look, lady, he's the crazy one,
pointing his shiny little piece at
us because we said we liked his car.
What kind of a compliment
did you pay his vehicle?
She means, "how did you
tell him you liked the car?"
I just said, you know, "I'd look real
good driving that cadillac around."
- 'Cause I would.
- I bet you would.
Do you think that maybe that's what
this guy thought you were gonna do --
jump in his car and drive off in it?
Look, let me explain.
Uh, as interested as I
normally am in grand theft,
what I really want to know about
today is who killed reggie gray?
Reggie who?
The guy who was shot at the community
center last friday night by this man here.
Oh, okay. Oh, you see? I
told you that dude was crazy.
He tried killing us, too.
Isn't that against the law, huh?
Yeah, he came after us. And I was gonna
mess him up, you know? I wanted to.But --
well, you can forget all about settling
scores with him, because I'll be handling that.
All I want to know from you boys
exactly what happened last friday night.
Look, even if you were, say, trying
to drive off in this man's car,
murder is the only
crime I care about today.
Isn't that right, detective sanchez?
We're asking you to help us deal
with this guy who shot at you.
I mean, come on. How
often does that happen?
I want to know about the moment
he started shooting at you, okay?
- Yes?
- Okay.
Look, we only said something about...
about taking the car.
We didn't actually do it.
And then that's when he pulled the gun.
I'm surprised you didn't grab it
from him and shove it down his throat.
Man, we thought about that,
you know, but then he started --
bam, bam, bam!--
Just like that.
You know, we knew he was serious.
Tell her, man. Tell
her that's the truth.
Sabes que we didn't even get in that car, and
that son of a bitch started shooting at us.
Can you believe that?
We didn't even get in it.
That's exactly what I thought happened.
Now, if you could just,
uh, write it all down,
just what you said and, uh,
sign it, and we'll be finished.
Write what down?
Just that you wanted to take this man's
car, and for no other reason than that,
he illegally discharged his weapon at
you and that you, uh, fled the scene.
Okay, wait a minute. Wait.
Okay, we only tried to steal the car.
- We didn't take it.
- I completely understand.
In fact, just describe it that
way. Say it just like that.
You only tried to steal this man's car.
A-and underline the word "try" so
it's clear that it was just an attempt.
That's a good idea.
Why is the chief unhappy?
That was the confession, wasn't it?
I mean, am I missing something here?
She's probably already thinking about how she's
going to explain all of this to reggie's mom.
You spelled "cadillac" wrong.
It's two l'S.
We rigged this up in a day.
Imagine what we could do in a week.
I'm breathless.
Okay. Let me take a look at that.
All right, uh, if you could
just sign on the bottom.
All right, gentlemen.
- I put the date right there, too.
- Good idea.
Now, I-I should probably explain
the, uh, felony murder rule to you.
Oh, we don't care about that. As
long as you got that fool, we're good.
I'm starving.
No, no, no, you really ought to understand
about your future responsibilities
in regards to reggie gray.
What responsibilities? We didn't
agree to any responsibility.
S-shut up, alonso.
I got to eat, okay? Can't this wait?
I hate to hold you up, but, um...
you really should understand
what's gonna happen next,
because when you're involved in a robbery,
like only trying to steal this man's cadillac,
and someone gets shot
during that attempt,
whether the victim is right in
front of you or two blocks away,
if that person dies as a result
of your actions, it's murder.
Wait, wait. Wait a minute. Wait.
So we're like witnesses now or what?
- Only if you decide to testify.
- All right.
Y-you're telling me
we got to go to court?
I'm afraid so. But you don't have
to testify if you don't want to,
- because that's a right that you have under the 5th amendment.
- Yeah.
Don't worry. Your lawyer
will explain it all to you.
No, wait. Lawyers? We
can't afford no lawyers.
I told you, if you can't afford an
attorney, one will be appointed for you.
- Enrique santos and alonso garcia...
- w-w-wait, what's going on here?
- You're both under arrest for murder.
- What are you doing?
- Get off me!
- Hands down, too.
You'll figure it all out by
the time you're arraigned.
Looky here. Now she's
starting to perk up.
Oh, and, uh, if you
boys are still hungry,
I'm sure we can rustle you up some
bologna sandwiches and powdered eggs.
And I hope you like them,
because where you're going,
that's all you're gonna eat
for the rest of your lives.
Wait, wait. Hey, you
get back here, you bitch!
So, you think mrs. Gray's gonna be okay?
I think you defined "transferred intent" and
"felony murder" as well as anyone could have.
Guiding her through
the mourning process --
- well, that's more my job than yours.
- Yeah. It's just as well.
Having your child shot dead because someone
was trying to steal a car two blocks away
seems awfully random to me.
I wouldn't say that, no.
Please don't tell me you think that reggie's
murder was, what, part of god's grand design?
"God's grand design." That's
a little bit over my head.
But I don't believe in random.
But there was no motive
in reggie's death.
And -- and where there's no
motive, there's no meaning.
Well, you only think there's no
meaning 'cause you're looking for it.
But meaning isn't something
you find, chief johnson.
It's something you give.
Making sense out of reggie's
murder -- well, that's up to us.
So what meaning would you say it had?
Well, I'd say that reggie's death had brought
this community closer together, don't you think?
Including the neighborhood
and the police.
Including you and me.
Now, that's something
you don't see every day.
I can't believe you're falling for this.
What's a little paint, huh?
It's not gonna change anything.
And tomorrow or next week, this wall's
gonna be covered in graffiti again.
Well, until then...
in the city area, southbound 405 ...
disabled tractor trailer off
to the right hand side ...
Can we
just --
You know, we don't
have to do this today.
No! No, no. These -- these things
could be used by other cats.
Good morning, sergeant gabriel.
Morning, chief. We just landed a
body at the crenshaw community center.
Oh, no. Isn't that father jack's place?
Yeah.You want me to come by and pick
you up or give you directions or --
I know where it is.
Uh, no, no. I'll, um
-- I'll be right there.
Doesn't look like much.
Maybe I'll wait, then.
Chief's here. Appreciate it.
Chief, agent howard, sorry
to cut into your weekend.
Our, uh, victim is a
35-year-old male, black.
Single gunshot to the back of the head.
Was discovered around
7:00 A.M.This morning.
Take a guess who found him.
Father jack.
Victim's name is, uh, reginald gray.
He did maintenance work
for the community center,
but he's paid by father jack's
church, which is where he was living.
This is a major crime because...
the community center's city-owned,
which immediately makes it our problem.
Where's S.I.D.?
- I told them not to come, chief.
- Why?
There's nothing for them
to do. Victim was shot once.
There's no casings, no
weapon, no witnesses.
And father jack over there says
that the victim, reggie gray --
who's still on parole, by the way -- is
some kind of like ex-con turned saint.
Actually, what the father said is
that reggie had no known enemies
and was well-liked in the
neighborhood, lieutenant.
Yeah? Well, he doesn't
look very popular to me.
Ricardo, this is father jack.
- Nice to meet you, father jack.I'm ricardo ramos.
- Be right back.
I got a few questions for you.
Why is commander taylor forever
bringing that reporter around?
Morning, chief.
I know how it looks, but chief pope believes
if ramos is getting father jack's side,
then he should get ours, too.
Well, I don't know what our side is yet.
Look, just -- just keep him away
from me as long as possible, please.
All right.
Haven't touched a thing, chief.
Called the coroner and
gave me a one-hour E.T.A.,
But it looks like reggie here's
been dead for quite a while.
Why is he damp?
Sprinklersooff every night at 10:00.
So he must have been
murdered before that.
Neighbors didn't hear gunfire.
Around here, they never do.
look, I-I-I can't go anywhere
until the body's taken away.
Why don't I take kitty's things down
to the shelter, save you the trip down?
No, no. We should do it together.
You finish your simple investigation.
I'll dispose of kitty's earthly effects.
Okay. Thanks.
Looks like he's got a wallet in his
back pocket, so it wasn't a robberY.
Well, if it wasn't a robbery, why
else would someone want to kill him?
- You want an alphabetical list?
- Fire away.
"A," asshole. "B,"
because. "C," criminal.
Excuse me, lieutenant?
Do you always begin a murder investigation
by assassinating the victim's character?
Actually, father, what lieutenant
flynn here meant to say is how sad it is
that we're always meeting up again
under such tragic circumstances.
Any reason why someone might
want to see this man dead?
No, none at all.
And I'm not just saying that
because reggie worked for me.
Reggie was dedicating his life
to improving this community.
Do you see that wall there?
Reggie painted over the graffiti on it
constantly with supplies he bought himself.
And he mentored several middle
schoolers, keeping them out of gangs!
Yeah, that's right, lieutenant. That's
the kind of wretched human being he was.
I understand that reggie
lived in your church.
We're gonna have to
search through his room.
Do you have a warrant?
Well, no, but since he's a parolee, we can
search through his quarters anytime we like.
Oh, no, no, no. Now, wait a minute. No.
You're allowed to search his
quarters when reggie was alive.
Now he's dead.
- Is he reggie gray?
- Excuse me?
Uh, commander taylor's point, father,
is tt until the coroner arrives,
we can't remove the victim's wallet
and check his driver's license.
Officially, we don't
know who this man is.
I just identified him
for you! He worked for me!
I'm afraid that doesn't work
as an official identification.
Well, I'm -- I'm a little confused,
because his name tag says "reggie."
Well, if there's one thing you've taught me,
ricardo, it's "don't believe everything you read."
I-I tell you what -- while we're sorting through the
legal ins and outs of searching the victim's room,
uh, commander taylor, if you could please
take a walk through the community center.
It's city-owned, so we
don't need a search warrant.
Just make sure that nothing's
broken into or missing.
- Well, I need to be present for that.
- Fine.
Feel welcome to join me, father.
Ricardo, you too. You too.
Still got that parole
officer's number on speed dial?
- Sure do, chief.
- All right.
Uh, lieutenant provenza, when
the parole officer arrives,
would you and lieutenant flynn please
supervise the search of reggie's room?
Sergeant gabriel, would you handle the
notification of the victim's family?
Thank you. And, uh, detective sanchez, what
else do I need to know about this neighborhood?
Oh, thank you.
Okay.
So, what do we have here?
It's gang central L.A., Chief.
There's big overlap out there of
black, brown, and a little white.
There's three regular gangs and then
one made up of all the gang rejects.
That's what we call
"affirmative-action gangsters."
Okay. And, uh, who does what?
Well, over there... Dope.
Over there... Weapons.
And over there, chief... Car theft.
Over there... More dope.
Gang, gang, gang, gang.
So I'm guessing reggie's death
had something to do with gangs,
which is why no one in the
neighborhood will talk to us.
And reggie's room at the church?
Oh, outreach pamphlets, handyman
books, a blessed mother statue.
Now, father jack was
right about one thing.
Reggie painted over some graffiti three
times last month, including yesterday.
So you can bet some gangsters
were pretty unhappy about that.
There's a new sandblast technique
for removing a single layer of paint.
Want me to order it up?
I think we should, lieutenant.
You know, the last
time we dealt with him,
everyone said that father jack's
place was off-limits to gangs.
Yeah, it still is, but
reggie's older. He did time.
Maybe he made some enemies
we don't know about, chief.
Sergeant gabriel, how
did the notification go?
Well, reggie's mother
was devastated, but, um,
she confirms what father jack said that reggie had
turned his life around, no problems with anyone.
Then how did he end up dead?
Did commander taylor notice anything
missing at the community center?
Father jack said that there
was nothing out of place.
And reggie's known associates from
his gang years are all dead and buried.
So every cloud does
have a silver lining.
I'm sorry to interrupt, but I-I applied for this
federal grant to upgrade our surveillance equipment,
and I think I got it, but I-I
need help translating this letter.
What language is it in?
- Uh, government.
- Ah, yeah. Here, buzz. I read government.
"in accordance with the terms and conditions of
the american recovery and reinvestment act" --
da, da, da, here it is -- "for new surveillance and
communications equipment, "you have on account...
- 70000"
- Really?
Oh, my god.
Now, why would the feds
give you that kind of money?
Well, I promised to spend
it really fast, and I can.
Speaking of fast, chief, the
morgue has a prelim ready.
The bullet entered the soft
tissue right below the skull.
But for a .32 caliber,
didn't penetrate very deeply.
.32 caliber's a semiautomatic -- would
have kicked out a casing at the crime scene.
We didn't find one.
It may be a professional hit, and they
grabbed the casing and took it with them.
What else do you know?
Our victim is a former
gang member out on parole,
and I've got a priest
who thinks he's a saint.
Well, I don't know about saint, but he meets
the first big requirement for martyrdom.
And he was having this tattoo removed.
Maybe somebody felt insulted by that.
Because when I see this type of
injury, we're talking execution.
But no stippling, no sooting, which means
the shooter wasn't very close when he fired.
Hey, doc, what if the, uh -- what if
the shooter stood like 20, 30 yards away,
like, you know, from across the street?
With a .32? That'd be a
hell of a shot, sergeant.
What if the gun malfunctioned
or the bullet was a half load?
Oh, well, um, a bad primer
could account for some of this.
But honestly, the bullet
doesn't tell me much.
Well, it's got to tell
us something, doctor.
Look, w-we'll take it to ballistics.
Hey, uh, chief, the people in that
neighborhood know something. They always do.
Why don't we set up a meeting at the community
center and see if they can help us find the gun?
We talk to them directly.
- You want me to share information with civilians?
- Yes.
Absolutely not! I'm
not doing that, ever.
Just as well, really.
Why's that?
You don't have any information to share.
So, you chose my day off to execute an
illegal search of father jack's church?
There was nothing illegal about it.
A parole officer visited
the victim's quarters.
We only went along to make
sure it all went smoothly.
Come on, brenda. Are you deliberately
trying to antagonize this guy?
He is deliberately antagonizing me!
I am looking for a killer, and, as usual, father
jack has been uncooperative every step of the way.
What am I supposed to do about that?
Well, for starters, you can
help me calm his holiness,
even if it means you have to
behave like a nun to do it.
It's bad enough the L.A.P.D.Won't respect our
outreach program to these children and gangs,
but when one of our own becomes a target
and we're being treated like suspects,
that's another thing altogether!
We don't need more
suspicion. We need answers.
We're searching for those answers.
In my church and without a warrant and
without responding to any of our questions.
We just got this case six hours ago.
We can't pluck witnesses
and guns out of thin air.
Miracles like that fall more under
your jurisdiction than mine, father.
All right, look, we are all
after the same thing here.
- And what makes you say that?
- Well...
you want to find reggie
gray's killer, don't you?
Of course I do!
But how do I know the L.A.P.D.Isn't using his
murder to start another witch hunt in my parish?
Let's bring your community together.
We'll talk to them directly.
- Seriously?
- Absolutely.
You'd be willing to speak with
my people in an open dialogue?
Oh, I don't think a community
meeting is really a good idea.
That is a fantastic idea.
We can tell the people what we know,
and they could do the same for us.
It'll show the community how
seriously we're taking this crime.
Well, I have to warn you.
My community feels abandoned.
They're angry about reggie's death,
and trust me, they won't go easy on you.
We can take it, father. Try us.
Police see the same
things day in and day out!
People getting shot, getting their
cars stolen, drugs sold on the corner!
Now, why can't the police stop that?
I understand your frustration.
We came here specifically tonight to find ways
that we might help each other put an end to that.
I saw you guys taking
paint off the wall outside.
Do you think some gang members shot
reggie for covering up their graffiti?
We checked into that, ma'am, and that was
done by a local tagger, not a gang member.
But like all of you, we are trying very hard
to figure out why this happened to mr. Gray.
A-a-and anything that you know
about the shooting last night,
even the smallest detail, could help us.
Uh, chief johnson, have you narrowed
down any possible motives yet?
No, uh, but thank you for asking that,
because I'm especially interested in motives.
Sometimes knowing why someone was shot can take
us a very, very long way into figuring out who --
so, somebody got murdered, and
you want us to figure it out?
How do we know we'll even be
protected if we tell you anything?
You can't even protect this
community center anymore!
I bet this has something to do
with reggie's stint in prison.
No! No, it didn't!
My son, reggie --
he paid his debt.
He straightened out his life.
He didn't deserve this!
He was trying to make
something better for hisself,
to make up for all the wrong
he did, with humility...
and love... and hard work!
And if we can't turn this place
around with spirit like that...
then one of you is gonna be
sitting where I am tomorrow...
or next week... or next year!
Mourning the loss of your only child...
how many children do we have
to bury before this ends, huh?
When is this going to end?
When?
The police don't care.
No. No, sir, we do. We care
very much. That's why we're here.
Yeah, you say that, but last night,
we had another run-in at the central
food and gas mart down the street.
I mean, someone started shooting at people,
and the police just drove through and left.
Uh, uh, sir, many times,
if there's no one there when the officers
arrive, they move on to their next call.
You tell us to call when
people put up graffiti.
And then we go back and paint over it, someone
else comes back, does it all over again.
Provenza.
Uh, would you please call buzz and, uh,
and send everyone over to this gas station,
check it out for signs
of a possible shooting,
and see if there was a radio
call or a report made about it?
- Thanks.
- Yes, ma'am.
Miss, why don't you tell them about
the crimes that you are seeing?
What crimes can we talk about with a guarantee
of protection? Have you thought about that?
Ma'am, I assure you, the entire force is doing
everything we can to keep your neighborhood safe.
I won't even take my
family out at night anymore.
We're afraid to go out after dark.
And that should not be the case.
*********
So tonight, we have two of the officers
here who patrol your neighborhood.
Standing there at the
back after the meeting,
feel free to address any specific
concerns you may have with them.
- Did you guys find anything yet?
- Not yet.
Buzz. Over here.
I think I found something.
.32 caliber.
We got three more over here.
You want to get this, buzz?
Two in here, and you got one down here.
Lieutenant tao...
Do you still carry
around those geeky lasers?
I-I promise we're gonna do everything
we can to find out why this happened.
I hope so, chief johnson.
And not just for my sake.
People here need to believe in you.
They need to know you're
going to do something.
They need to see it.
Please.
Yeah.
- Chief.
- Yes.
I just talked to flynn.
No report was filed on any shooting
last night at that food and gas mart,
but there was a 911
reported from their phone.
Caller said shots were
fired. Patrol car was sent.
No one was there, so they
kept going. Now, get this.
Flynn says they just foundsome .
32 casings in their parking lot.
- Okay.
- You need to be shaking hands with people.
Not you, lieutenant.
Uh, I need to run out
just for one quick minute.
No, no, no, no, chief johnson,
you're not going anywhere right now.
There's some
casings --
you cannot invite these people here
to meet you a-and then just leave.
Chief, why don't you just -- you
stay here and press the flesh,
and I'll keep you posted
on anything going on.
Here we go.
Hey, julio. We're ready.
Okay. Flynn, are you in position?
I'm at the community center.
- Okay. Are you ready to film this?
- All set.
Okay, lieutenant tao, point it
away from your body like a gun
and go to your left towards
flynn at the community center.
Okay. Good. Keep going. Good. Good.
Tao, julio, are you guys still
there? I don't see anything yet.
Tao... lower it just a little.
Oh, I see it now.
It's hitting me, and I'm right
where reggie was standing.
Tao, I see a direct path for the
bullet that killed reggie gray.
Looks like he was shot in
somebody else's gunfight.
What kind of sense does that make?
I mean, come on.
Sure is quiet in here.
Doesn't have to be this quiet, you know?
We could use this bedroom for something
other than your unsolved cases.
After last night, this room may not be
big enough for my unsolved cases, honestly.
But it could hold a kid.
We could turn this room
into a nursery in just...
a few months maybe.
You should have seen my
victim's mother last night.
She stood up and talked about
how much she loved her son.
She never gave up on him
through prison and parole.
She was helping him
turn his life around.
And then one night...
shot dead, probably
by a-a random bullet,
for no better reason than he was just
standing in the wrong place at the wrong time.
When I know how easily...
these things happen, how can I
even think about having children?
The same way E.R.Doctors do...
and undertakers... and soldiers.
And you could ask the same
question about getting married.
How many times have you stepped up to some
poor woman to say her husband isn't coming home?
And we still said "I do."
That I couldn't help.
You're so great at imaging the worst.
That's part of why
you're good at your job.
But try, just... for a minute...
imagining something better.
911. What's your emergency?
Yeah. These guys are in
a parking lot, fighting.
Someone just fired a gun.
Hold on, sir. What's your name?
- Tommy martinez.
- What's your location, tommy?
20th and crenshaw -- the
central food and gas mart.
Okay, tommy, I'm going to
dispatch a unit to your location.
Stay on the line, please.
Wait, wait, wait. I
think they're leaving.
Hello? Are you still there?
I'm still here. The
patrol car is coming.
That was very brave of you to make
that call, tommy, so thank you for that.
What else can you tell
me about that night?
The boys in the parking lot...
how many were there?
I don't remember.
Do you remember who fired the gun?
I didn't see anything.
I just heard shots.
Were they older than you? Younger?
Listen, lady, the only reason I took this
job is so I could save up money for college.
That call I made -- that's just
'cause there was kids around.
So why don't you leave me alone?
I'm in enough trouble as it is.
I wouldn't be asking you these questions if it
wasn't a matter of life and death for someone.
Life and death.
Okay, look...
I saw a guy with a nice
cadillac, screaming...
at some other guys to get
away from it. That's it.
Did they threaten him
or try to shoot him?
No, no, no. The guy in -- in the car
-- he's the one who fired the gun.
I thought you said you didn't see that.
All right.
I'll tell you about the guy in
the car that -- that shot his gun.
But I'm not gonna say anything
to you about those gangsters.
If they knew that I was sitting here
talking to you, they'd come after me.
Come on, man. You know. Tell her.
What gang?
N.D.S.Two of them.
I don't know their names, but, uh, I
recognized their faces from the neighborhood.
N.D.S are the 19th street destroyers.
It's the affirmative-action
gang I was telling you about.
Um, they have a big chop-shop
operation, mostly high-end car parts.
You recognized these boys?
Okay. How about this --
what color was the cadillac?
Look, tommy, I understand that
growing up in your neighborhood,
you must get really good at
imagining how bad things can be.
But... try...
just for a minute, to
imagine something better.
Because that's what we're trying to do --
make a safer place for you and your family.
You can make a difference. You can.
How about this instead?
I wrote down the license-plate
number of the cadillac.
You -- you wrote down the license-plate number,
and -- and you didn't show it to the police?
I never had a chance.
By the time you guys got
there, everyone was gone.
Cops just... rolled through.
They didn't even stop.
Don't look so surprised, lady.
See, that's the way you always do us.
His name is kelvin blake.
Registered owner of the vehicle. Age 38.
He lives over on arlington, about a
mile and a half from the service station.
Honestly, chief, seems like a nice guy.
Who has a rap sheet, even
though it's from 20 years ago.
Still -- drugs,
petty theft.
Works as a foreman for m&f
construction company now.
Employed there for the last 10 years.
So at least kelvin can hold down a job,
and he turned in his gun voluntarily.
- Thank you.
- Ballistics finished their report.
The bullet that killed
reggie came from that gun.
Still doesn't prove
he pulled the trigger.
- Chief johnson...
- yes.
I spoke to my robbery guys.
There's been a string of high-end
carjackings recently within a few miles
of father jack's community center.
I bet mostly with the N.D.S.
So, uh, you think this kelvin blake
guy's responsible for the shooting?
Well, hopefully, we'll know soon enough.
- Chief.
- Yes.
enrique santos and alonso garcia.
How'd you do that?
Put together some photo lineups.
And I told him, "if our shooter
here picks out the same guys,
you would never have to go to courT."
And he believed you?
Why do people ever talk to us?
All right. Uh, thank you. These,
uh -- these will be very helpful.
Now, if you and lieutenant flynn could
track down mr. Santos and mr. Garcia,
bring them in there, thank you.
Yes, ma'am.
Good evening, mr. Blake.
I'm deputy chief johnson.
I want to thank you so much for being
so cooperative with my detectives.
I'm happy to help out.
Tell you the truth, you know,
these gangsters -- they got friends.
I'd rather just forget
about the whole thing.
Well, unfortunately, sir, discharging a
firearm in a public place is against the law.
So just forgetting about the
whole thing isn't an option.
I understand you were read
and waived your rights.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I -- I
was just protecting myself.
Why don't you start by walking us
through what happened last friday night?
Okay. I got off work late.
Didn't feel like making dinner, so I thought
I'd go by the gas mart and grab a hot dog.
And what time was that?
9:00. Little after 9:00.
Okay. And so?
So I pulled in.
And I'm standing at the register when I look out
and I see two boys coming from across the street.
And I-I recognized the look on their
faces, 'cause it's my hood, right?
And I'm thinking, "I got to get
back in my car before they steal it."
So I ran out, jumped
in the driver's seat.
But they stood behind me. See,
they wouldn't let me back out.
Did they threaten you in any way?
Yes! They told me to get out of the car.
This is the gun that, uh...
you gave my detectives, correct?
Yes, ma'am.
I mean, I knew people were gonna be
after my car. I mean, the rims alone.
I just thought I needed a
little firepower to hold onto it.
So, wait, you bought a car that you
thought you needed a gun to hang on to?
Wait a second. Wait a second.
Let's just -- let's just back up.
You got to understand, I mean, I worked my
whole life to be able to have a car like that.
There was no way I was gonna let them
gangsters take my cadillac from me.
I mean, you would have done
the same thing, right, man?
Just... what happened next, sir?
So they told me to get out the car.
So I did, only they didn't
know I was armed, you know?
So right away, I point the gun
at them. I told them to back off.
They just laugh at me, like -- like I'm
joking, tell me to give them my keys or else.
One of them said, "homey, I'm
gonna look great in your car."
I thought, "the hell
you are," so I just...
capped off a few
rounds over their heads.
And what did they do?
They ran, both of them, talking about
"I'm gonna get you. I'm gonna get you."
I want you to think about
this very carefully, kelvin.
What was going on in your mind
when you pulled out the gun?
I was afraid, you
know? I'm still afraid.
I mean, I got to drive
down that street every day.
I knew they'd probably remember
what I look like and my car.
I knew they'd remember that, too.
Probably come and find
me, just like you guys did.
Which is why it's so important that you identify
these men so that they can't come and find you.
So if you could, um, please
take a look at these gentlemen,
tell me if you recognize anyone.
Yeah, that's one of them right there.
That's the other one.
- You sure?
- Yeah, yeah. That's them.
Okay. Thanks.
So, kelvin, tell me, um,
when you fired those rounds,
did you ever wonder where
they were gonna end up?
No.
Why? What happened?
When you shot at those boys, one of the bullets
went on for a while -- two whole blocks --
and ended up in the back
of the head of a man ...
- by the name of reggie gray.
- No, no, no.
- He died instantly.
- Oh, no, no, no, no!
Oh, my
god!Oh, my --
I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt
nobody. I didn't mean -- oh, my god!
Oh, man! Did he have a family? Did he...
******
So, sanchez and i spent all night
looking for these two dirtbags.
We finally found them this morning,
walking up to the same service station.
Probably gonna jack another car.
What's this?
We can now monitor the electronics room
and the interview room from out here...
and from two angles.
Or just one. Or this one.
And it's wireless. Pretty cool, huh?
Tao, would you stop moving
the picture around, damn it?
Y-you're making me
dizzy. Settle somewhere.
- Man, I want something to eat.
- Yeah.
I'm not your waiter.
You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say can and will be
used against you in a court of law.
- You have the right to an attorney.If you can't afford a lawyer...
- It's, like, amazing.
excuse me for a minute.
Settle someplace, tao!
Now I'm not kidding!
Did you understand what I just told you?
Alonso and enrique's rap sheets.
And we just got positive I.D.S on both of
them for three other recent carjackings --
one at the same gas
station a few weeks ago.
Thank you, sergeant.
Let's see what our busy little
gangsters have to say for themselves.
Gentlemen... thank you
so much for joining us.
Stand up.
- You're welcome, bitcH.
- Well...
so much for hello.
Do you have any idea why we
asked you to pop by here today?
Alonso?
You want to have my baby?
I'll tell you this one time.
You better show some respect!
Or else. Stand here.
Let's, uh -- let's
start over, shall we?
Uh, I believe that you gentlemen were shot
at in the parking lot at the central food
and gas mart on crenshaw
the night before last.
Does that ring any bells?
Uh, lieutenant...
I think we found the
guy who shot at you.
That's why you're here.
- Y-you talking about that fool?
- Do you recognize him, enrique?
Yeah, the crazy bastard was at the
filling station the other night.
He was waving his gun around,
shouting some bullshit.
But we left after he started shooting.
Shooting? At who?
What do you mean, "at who"? At us.
Now, why would this
man fire his gun at you?
Did something happen?
Did you maybe pay too much
attention to his brand-new cadillac?
It's a nice car, yeah.
But look, lady, he's the crazy one,
pointing his shiny little piece at
us because we said we liked his car.
What kind of a compliment
did you pay his vehicle?
She means, "how did you
tell him you liked the car?"
I just said, you know, "I'd look real
good driving that cadillac around."
- 'Cause I would.
- I bet you would.
Do you think that maybe that's what
this guy thought you were gonna do --
jump in his car and drive off in it?
Look, let me explain.
Uh, as interested as I
normally am in grand theft,
what I really want to know about
today is who killed reggie gray?
Reggie who?
The guy who was shot at the community
center last friday night by this man here.
Oh, okay. Oh, you see? I
told you that dude was crazy.
He tried killing us, too.
Isn't that against the law, huh?
Yeah, he came after us. And I was gonna
mess him up, you know? I wanted to.But --
well, you can forget all about settling
scores with him, because I'll be handling that.
All I want to know from you boys
exactly what happened last friday night.
Look, even if you were, say, trying
to drive off in this man's car,
murder is the only
crime I care about today.
Isn't that right, detective sanchez?
We're asking you to help us deal
with this guy who shot at you.
I mean, come on. How
often does that happen?
I want to know about the moment
he started shooting at you, okay?
- Yes?
- Okay.
Look, we only said something about...
about taking the car.
We didn't actually do it.
And then that's when he pulled the gun.
I'm surprised you didn't grab it
from him and shove it down his throat.
Man, we thought about that,
you know, but then he started --
bam, bam, bam!--
Just like that.
You know, we knew he was serious.
Tell her, man. Tell
her that's the truth.
Sabes que we didn't even get in that car, and
that son of a bitch started shooting at us.
Can you believe that?
We didn't even get in it.
That's exactly what I thought happened.
Now, if you could just,
uh, write it all down,
just what you said and, uh,
sign it, and we'll be finished.
Write what down?
Just that you wanted to take this man's
car, and for no other reason than that,
he illegally discharged his weapon at
you and that you, uh, fled the scene.
Okay, wait a minute. Wait.
Okay, we only tried to steal the car.
- We didn't take it.
- I completely understand.
In fact, just describe it that
way. Say it just like that.
You only tried to steal this man's car.
A-and underline the word "try" so
it's clear that it was just an attempt.
That's a good idea.
Why is the chief unhappy?
That was the confession, wasn't it?
I mean, am I missing something here?
She's probably already thinking about how she's
going to explain all of this to reggie's mom.
You spelled "cadillac" wrong.
It's two l'S.
We rigged this up in a day.
Imagine what we could do in a week.
I'm breathless.
Okay. Let me take a look at that.
All right, uh, if you could
just sign on the bottom.
All right, gentlemen.
- I put the date right there, too.
- Good idea.
Now, I-I should probably explain
the, uh, felony murder rule to you.
Oh, we don't care about that. As
long as you got that fool, we're good.
I'm starving.
No, no, no, you really ought to understand
about your future responsibilities
in regards to reggie gray.
What responsibilities? We didn't
agree to any responsibility.
S-shut up, alonso.
I got to eat, okay? Can't this wait?
I hate to hold you up, but, um...
you really should understand
what's gonna happen next,
because when you're involved in a robbery,
like only trying to steal this man's cadillac,
and someone gets shot
during that attempt,
whether the victim is right in
front of you or two blocks away,
if that person dies as a result
of your actions, it's murder.
Wait, wait. Wait a minute. Wait.
So we're like witnesses now or what?
- Only if you decide to testify.
- All right.
Y-you're telling me
we got to go to court?
I'm afraid so. But you don't have
to testify if you don't want to,
- because that's a right that you have under the 5th amendment.
- Yeah.
Don't worry. Your lawyer
will explain it all to you.
No, wait. Lawyers? We
can't afford no lawyers.
I told you, if you can't afford an
attorney, one will be appointed for you.
- Enrique santos and alonso garcia...
- w-w-wait, what's going on here?
- You're both under arrest for murder.
- What are you doing?
- Get off me!
- Hands down, too.
You'll figure it all out by
the time you're arraigned.
Looky here. Now she's
starting to perk up.
Oh, and, uh, if you
boys are still hungry,
I'm sure we can rustle you up some
bologna sandwiches and powdered eggs.
And I hope you like them,
because where you're going,
that's all you're gonna eat
for the rest of your lives.
Wait, wait. Hey, you
get back here, you bitch!
So, you think mrs. Gray's gonna be okay?
I think you defined "transferred intent" and
"felony murder" as well as anyone could have.
Guiding her through
the mourning process --
- well, that's more my job than yours.
- Yeah. It's just as well.
Having your child shot dead because someone
was trying to steal a car two blocks away
seems awfully random to me.
I wouldn't say that, no.
Please don't tell me you think that reggie's
murder was, what, part of god's grand design?
"God's grand design." That's
a little bit over my head.
But I don't believe in random.
But there was no motive
in reggie's death.
And -- and where there's no
motive, there's no meaning.
Well, you only think there's no
meaning 'cause you're looking for it.
But meaning isn't something
you find, chief johnson.
It's something you give.
Making sense out of reggie's
murder -- well, that's up to us.
So what meaning would you say it had?
Well, I'd say that reggie's death had brought
this community closer together, don't you think?
Including the neighborhood
and the police.
Including you and me.
Now, that's something
you don't see every day.
I can't believe you're falling for this.
What's a little paint, huh?
It's not gonna change anything.
And tomorrow or next week, this wall's
gonna be covered in graffiti again.
Well, until then...