The Wire (2002–2008): Season 3, Episode 12 - Mission Accomplished - full transcript

- Who's got the scene?
- Massey and Crutchfield.

Norris is on his way to the morgue.
He'll beat the bodies there.

- How about the crime lab?
- Can he get enough oxygen?

He's getting the full treatment, boss.

We're good there.

Just one witness so far.

And you know what that means.
Right now, it's all BNBG.

It's Andy Kraw's big adventure.

Mayor's office already called twice,
worried sick about the man.

You're kidding me.

That's a whole lot of campaign contributions
sitting on the back of that ambo.

- So, what's the scene say?
- Two shooters. Shotgun, semi-auto.

One vic is a West Side soldier
with a pretty healthy sheet.

The other is a major player
in Daniels' wiretap case.

So, a hit. Drug related.

But a big-time developer in the middle?
What's the fit?

Second vic, Russell Bell.

Owner and co-developer of this here.

And other downtown real estate.

Well-propertied man he was.

But you were aware that Russell Bell was
regarded as a major narcotic violator?

How do you think he made his money?

I didn't inquire.

So, you never got a look
at either of the gunmen?

I told you, I saw only the one of them.

He was black. Big, I thought.

With a large weapon.

BNBG.

Big negro, big gun.

Two more like it upstairs.

Yeah?

Have ballistics rush comparisons.
Drug-relateds for the last six months.

I caught him, Bunk.

On the wire. I caught him.

And he doesn't fucking know it.

When you walk through the garden

You gotta watch your back

Well, I beg your pardon

Walk the straight and narrow track

Walk the straight
and narrow track

If you walk with Jesus

He's gonna save your soul

You gotta keep the devil

Way down in the hole

He got fire and the fury

Fire and fury

At his command

Well, you don't have to worry

Hold on to Jesus' hands

Oh, we'll be safe from Satan

When the thunder rolls

Oh

You gotta keep the devil

Way down in the hole

You gotta keep the devil

Way down in the hole

Way down

Way down in the hole

Boxing, yeah.

I know you loved that. I hated it.

I hated watching it.

Yeah, I know you did.
So you're doing good, huh?

- Day to day, I am.
- Because I was thinking, maybe...

I'm proud of you, Dennis. Be well.

Shut that fucking door.

Man, fuck it.

I'm ready for this shit.
These niggers is snapping on us.

You see? Do you believe this fucking shit?

Some shit like this would've
never happened with...

Yo, Slim, man. Just say the word.
Say the motherfucking word.

Shit is on.

What's up, B?

You all right?

We gonna bounce back
on the motherfucker no question.

- Bounce back on who?
- Marlo, boss.

- Oh, he gonna fall.
- Marlo ain't got shit to do with it.

Marlo couldn't get String like that.
String died cos of some other shit.

- What?
- He died because of some other shit, nigger.

I couldn't fix it. I tried.

That nigger, String,
was right about this shit, man.

That nigger was right. Fuck Marlo.

Fuck this fucking war.

All this beef over
a couple of fucking corners.

Don't matter who did what to who
at this point.

Fact is, we went to war,
and now there ain't no going back.

I mean, shit, it's what war is, you know?

Once you in it, you in it.

If it's a lie, then we fight on that lie.

But we gotta fight.

Got this out of his pocket.

I got no idea.

- It's a cell chip from a phone.
- Ah.

- What else did you get off him?
- 200 cash, set of keys, license.

President Street address?

I got Landsman banging out
a warrant for the place.

Fuck the politics for a minute.

- What if the man happens to be right?
- Legalising drugs?

Crime is down in his district
and the people there are OK with it.

Look, if you don't exist,
what happens here?

If there's no Tommy Carcetti,
what's likely to happen?

The mayor and Burrell shut this thing down.

I figure the mayor's
trying to find a way to shut it down

to make it look like
it was an enforcement plan.

Otherwise he'd have moved
to end it already.

Makes sense, but no matter what,

Colvin's little experiment is finished.

Come on, Tommy.

They dealt you a winning hand and
you're acting like you forgot how to play.

Mr. Mayor, call it legalisation
and my office can't live with it.

- Agreed. No one can.
- But harm reduction?

That could sell, provided there's
a reduction in the crime rate.

Harm reduction. Sounds good.

Steven, what if we were able to suggest

limiting our street-level enforcement?

We were concentrating our resources

on high-level traffickers.
How would that play?

If I could show off
that kind of casework, maybe.

But they've been doing street rips for so long,
I don't think a high level exists.

What if we said no major traffickers
were allowed in the free zone,

that all major...

That the major violators were
still being targeted?

Are you suggesting some kind
of admissions criteria for the zones?

- How would that work?
- I don't know that it would.

I'm just saying that for the sake
of public perception.

Come on, people,
work with me on this thing!

Fucked up, man. Marlo need to get
his ass dropped, him and all his crew.

- They gonna fall, son. You'll see.
- All right, let me know.

That's the word on the wire, anyway.

Every mention puts it
on Marlo Stanfield's crew,

which means the war's gonna ratchet up,
no question.

- Where's Jimmy?
- He went with Bunk Moreland

to rifle Stringer's spot downtown.

- How'd he take it?
- Like Stringer was kin.

- Yeah?
- Bushy top.

- Need to pull on your coat, boy.
- Hey, what's up, Major?

I got something for y'all.

Mount Vernon Square in about an hour.

I'm there.

This is Stringer's?

Yeah.

Who the fuck was I chasing?

What's done is done.

Gay-ass gangsters. Please.

I tell you, I took it for as long as I could.

Let's go, man.

Let's go.

It being your town,
I trust you to do it proper.

- You off today, boss?
- Every day at this point.

I told them over at COMSTAT
about my little experiment.

Bosses went crazy, huh?

Anyway, that's why I called you.

That there is a wartime lay-up
for your man Barksdale.

My sources tell me the man's there
most of the time with a lot of muscle.

Sawed-offs, semi-autos, MAC-11s.

Whole lot of good shit if you hit it right.

- That's a hell of a tip.
- Shit.

That right there might be the last bit
of police work in a long and storied career.

Glad I talked to you, bushy top.

Which one is Ali?

In the white trunks, boy.

- Damn, he look young.
- He was. This the Patterson fight.

- Old school.
- Who Patterson? He soft.

- Ali whipping his ass.
- He was a champ too.

Look, any man still standing at the end
of a round, you can't call him soft.

That's a rule, all right?

From Stringer's place downtown.
B&B shit, college papers, real estate stuff.

There's no phone extension in the place,
just these...

cellphone chips. About a hundred of them.

So that's why he wasn't taking any phones
from Bernard, huh?

Stringer just changed the number
every time he changed the chip.

- Shamrock too, probably.
- Cautious man.

- Yes and no.
- Have a look in here.

All different manufacturers.

Thank you.

Before Stringer Bell got aced,

he went out of his way to put in
his good friend, Avon Barksdale.

That's a Barksdale safe house.

Where'd you get this?

Colvin.

- Calls to the Western.
- Where's Daniels?

He's got this thing downtown.
It's for his wife.

You should raise him.

It's not enough to make up for Stringer.

It'll do for now.

Because the neighborhoods
and the residents

are among the poorest in our city,

and it is these residents who most need
a strong voice at City Hall.

Time has come for a change.

And I believe I can bring about that change

by providing a strong voice
for the new 11th District,

if you will do me the honor...

It's kind of cool, the lieutenant's wife
running for office, you know?

As you just heard,

West Baltimore City Councilwoman
Eunetta Perkins

is going to have her hands full
in next September's Democratic primary.

Stringer Bell. Damn.

Who could've gotten to him?
I mean, if it wasn't y'all on it.

You know Avon's gonna put it
on you, right?

Shit, let him take it on my jacket.
Don't make me no never mind.

I'm thinking it might be what you call
one of them good problems.

- Yeah.
- Mm-hm.

I heard Colvin's in deep shit downtown.

Looking at this right here...

he might not be the only one.

Anything comes up, I'm on the radio.

My man. Yo, you think I could get like $5?
I need like $5 to get on the bus.

- I look like a tourist to you?
- Man, I swear to God.

Looking like that
in an open-air drug market,

why the hell would I think you'll spend
my $5 on bus fare?

Shit, because I already got my blast, man.

All night, you been drinking
like your ass is candy.

That's shameful shit.

12-gauge pumpkin balls.

Last time I saw that kind of load
was the Pimlico double.

And I fucking know that motherfucker
was in the middle of that mess.

And if I remember your boy,
he had no love for the Barksdale people.

Execution style,
that don't play like Omar Little.

Besides, the word on our wire
is that Marlo's people did Stringer.

- Marlo Stanfield?
- The heir apparent.

This city's going to hell, man.

We're gonna push past 300 murders
before New Year's.

Shit is fucked.

Hey, Cheryl.

No? My guess is she's picking up
a prisoner.

I spoke to her about ten minutes ago.

Yeah, well, they make you check your stuff.

Cellphone, money, weapon.

She'll call when she gets the message.

Not at all.

I need more, Jimmy.

More!

- Motherfucker.
- I'm tired, Bunk.

Let's go.

I heard the vanguard met.

Heard they voted to have
a civilian review board look at it.

It wasn't unanimous, and there were
people there speaking for you.

I heard that too.

So, six out of ten black officers
think I'm just an asshole racist.

On the other hand,
four out of ten think you're just an asshole.

It's an administrative charge.

You can fight it and win if you want.

Failure to properly identify myself
as a police officer.

Sounds like what I was guilty of
most of my career, actually.

I'm not sure I was supposed to be a police.

Not really.

What were you supposed to be, huh?

Hm?

This is from Major Colvin's CI?
What's the corroboration?

The source knew that Barksdale had
a waterfront condo in his own name.

Gave the accurate location and title info
down to deed of transfer.

That's good, but it puts him
on the legitimate side of things.

What corroboration is there
for illegal activities?

Sorry I'm late. I had to stop in at a friend.

The source knew that Barksdale was shot
last month, wounded in the shoulder.

- Emergency room?
- No. No hospital reports.

We're gonna need better.
Either Colvin goes back to the CI,

or we sit on this address for a while.

Well, fuck it, then.

Let's name the source in the affidavit.

- It's Colvin's call, isn't it?
- It's Stringer Bell.

Lester figured it out from the DNRs.

Bell was snitching out Barksdale.

- You're sure of this?
- Maybe that explains the murder.

What's in the wire?

Loose talk about how it was Marlo's people,
but nothing past rumor.

With Bell gone, Barksdale might
have to oversee the day-to-day,

and maybe that puts him in contact
with some of our monitored cellphones.

If he's as cautious as Stringer, maybe not.

My guess is Barksdale never touches
a cellphone.

Safe house might be our best shot.

All right.

We stay on the wires
until this batch of burners goes dead,

hoping we have Barksdale.

But meanwhile, we get a warrant
for that safe house and wait on him there.

Thanks for the cover last night.

This is Greggs, Major Case Unit.
Who's the shift leader?

Get a wildcat right now!

Brown! What's up?
Anybody want to buy?

Blue John! Get yo ass caught, boy!

Holy Christ.

- They're all over it, Commissioner.
- Right.

That was Foxtrot.
The cameras have found our little shit pile.

Your fucking councilman
took his sweet time.

Everyone's a critic.

If this doesn't go,
what line of work are you gonna try next?

We're here in West Baltimore...

For more than a month,
police from Baltimore's Western district...

It's an outrageous development.

It's something I never thought I'd see
from this administration.

We need a change in leadership in this city.

Did the mayor or
the police commissioner know?

Ask the mayor and the police commissioner.

On crime and safety,
the Royce administration is simply bankrupt.

You gonna announce
for mayor next month?

Standing here today looking at this,
I'm gonna put it out there right now.

For more than four weeks
the Baltimore Police Department

surrendered areas to the drug trade,
and the council was not informed.

Fuck me. I fucking had this story
all to myself a week ago.

Police officers have turned a blind eye...

What the fuck was I thinking?

..apparently sanctioning
open-air drug markets.

Excuse us.

..in the so-called free zones,
drug dealers routinely ply their trade.

Mr. Mayor, Commissioner Burrell is here.

The mayor will be with him shortly.

..and young children run the streets alone.

The inhabitants of what has come
to be known as Hamsterdam

had little to say for the camera.

But Channel 5 has learned
that the police were...

- Yeah?
- What are you seeing?

Couple of people in and out.
No sign of Barksdale, though.

- It's quiet here too.
- OK.

Need to look at the back.

Our friend Carcetti's
gonna run wild with this.

And from the sound of things,
Gray is gonna run with him.

Tony Gray thinks he's gonna get my chair
behind this bullshit. Uh-uh.

We're throwing you out of the boat, Ervin.
This shit is on you alone.

Not necessarily.

Not if I talk about how we were
under pressure to keep the crime down.

- To juke the stats district by district.
- We never said that.

About how Colvin, under pressure,
lost his way.

About how I came to you weeks ago...

- Days ago.
- Weeks ago to tell you

what he had done and to assure you
that we were on top of the situation,

that Colvin would be relieved
and his plan aborted.

You lying motherfucker.

But you heard about the drop
in Colvin's felony rate

and you sent me packing.

Brought in your liberal-ass do-gooders
to seriously consider this horseshit

while Colvin's mistake grew and grew.

My hands were tied, Mr. Mayor.

My department thwarted.

I was a prisoner
of the goddamn politicians.

Or...

I leave your office right now
willing to say a lot less than that.

I put what I can on crazy-ass Bunny Colvin.

And I take the hit.

And if Carcetti or Gray holds hearings,

I'm the wall between them and you.

In which case,

I am your commissioner
for the full five-year term.

- Unit one to unit two.
- Unit two standing by.

Deal's made.

Unit two to sector three,
move on the Winchester Homes.

10-4. We're moving.

Unit two to sector two,
move on the Koppers Plant.

Roger that.

Over the top, gentlemen.

About fucking time.

Yo, man.

We gonna run out if we don't got no re-up.

- Where's Tuckie at?
- I don't know.

- Yo, where Tuckie at, man?
- He rolled out.

- Huh?
- He said the police coming.

Here they come. Let's roll.

Let's go!

Hold it right there!

Get the fuck off me!

Stop right there!

Stop right there! Stop!

Freeze! Freeze! Don't move!
Hold it right there. Freeze.

Outstanding, red team, outstanding.
Give you a case of beer for that one.

Son, this nigger, Stringer Bell, man,
was begging Chris, yo, for real.

Like, digging in his pockets, talking about
how much cheese he gonna give us

I mean, if we just let him walk.

My man, Chris, hollering,
"Man, bitch, you gonna die."

This nigger just dropped to his fucking
knees like a little cocksucker, man.

Start crying.
That shit was worse than fucking pathetic.

- Yo, that's Marlo.
- Get on your burner, man.

- Got a line on him.
- The number one? Where at?

Tall man says to tell y'all to soldier up.
They up at the rim shop.

Yeah, all right.

Boss, you OK?

- What you want?
- Slim said they got their eye on Marlo.

Mm?

I'm just saying, you know, all the boys,
they all waiting on you.

Go ahead, man. I'm behind you.

What else you need from us, Deputy?

City Hall wants the bulldozers
through here at dawn

and fencing all around the site.

Winchester Homes
and the Koppers Plant as well.

We got it.

Come tomorrow, the television reporters
get nothing they can stand in front of.

Excuse me, Deputy, sir, we found a body.

- Any trauma?
- Can't tell for sure with all the rat bites.

Take him to the OCME in a jail wagon.

I don't want the fucking reporters seeing
any ambos.

Shit.

He just landed. Him plus one.

- Got it. Sit tight.
- That makes how many?

Including Barksdale, Sydnor counted
ten in and none coming out,

so that's ten at least.

- 2301 to KGA.
- Go ahead, 2301.

We need QRT to meet us at our 20
for a search and seizure.

Location has multiple suspects
and may contain automatic weapons.

10-4.

- Word travels fast, huh?
- Shit.

Burrell called Johns Hopkins personally
this morning.

Dragged your name into the gutter.
Johns Hopkins doesn't need the notoriety.

The chief academic officer
of a major research university

doesn't want to hear that some new hire
makes up the rules as he goes along.

- Yeah, Colvin.
- Yeah, Major, you're on first.

Mm.

COMSTAT tomorrow.

I'm up.

- You all taking the door?
- Where's tactical?

- I called for QRT.
- You ain't heard?

They're a little busy tonight tearing down
Bunny Colvin's fuck-up.

With all that going on,
you're lucky you even got us, man.

- Who we hitting on this?
- Avon Barksdale and crew.

I fucking told you he was out.
Didn't I fucking tell you?

I fucking told them.

For more than four weeks
the Baltimore Police Department

surrendered areas to the drug trade.

By tomorrow, the story goes national,
and Washington reacts.

Save the best questions for Tony Gray.

He needs to shine even more than you.

- I can't believe he wants us to knock.
- You can't flush guns, can you?

What about if they open up on us?

These guys are at war with another crew.

We go charging in there,
chances are we will get lit up.

Yo, B.

Sham saying that Charles saying
they still up at the rim shop.

Marlo, his boy Chris and Vinson,
they still eating.

But the rest of the muscle, they rolled out.

Police.

No. Shh.

- Not the police.
- Narcos out back too.

Shit.

Let us in! We know you're in there.

Shit.

- Open the door, you fucking cocksuckers!
- Fucked up, man.

Y'all ask me, y'all ugly-ass niggers
shouldn't be in here

with all these guns and shit,
you know what I'm talking about?

Open it.

Come on, Avon. Enough with this shit.
Open the fucking door.

Open the fucking door, you cocksuckers!

- Police!
- Police! Police!

Search warrant!

- I'm clean, man.
- Get down!

- Lace them shits tight.
- Greggs, I'm opening up.

That'd be mine. In fact, all that's mine.

You got a law degree?

A fuckin' hand grenade.

Take him.

You fall on the parole violation,
no matter whatever else happens,

you do every day of what's left
of your seven without seeing a jury.

Maybe even conspiracy to murder.

We take this federal,
see if we can't get you ten to life.

- No parole.
- Whatever.

Shit, you only do two days nohow -
that's the day you go in...

And the day you come out.

Yeah, well, here's the warrant.

You read it slow.

In between them two days,
give you something to think on.

Damn. Missed our shot.

Roll, man.

You bend over for us,
or I will spend what's left of my career

shitting on every supervisor in your district.

From shift commanders down
to sector sergeants,

not one of them will have any rank at all
if we hear anything out of you.

Look, my people saw this
as a tactical deployment only!

- The responsibility is mine alone!
- Well, you won't fall alone,

unless you're willing
to fall exactly as we want you to.

After COMSTAT, you go
to retirement services and drop papers,

going out at a lieutenant's grade.
That's right, you're busted back.

We can't take your EOD away,
but you're not going out on a major's pay.

I can retire with my 30 right now
before you bust me!

- I got vacation time enough to make my 30!
- Fuck your vacation time.

You're out today at the lower grade.

That's against the goddamn contract!

What part of "bend over"
didn't you understand?

- Avon locked up?
- With most of his muscle, yeah.

Good day to get back out on them corners,
ain't it?

- Make some money.
- You bet.

It's not just the 17 million in federal funding
for law enforcement that you've jeopardised.

Take off another 200 million
of federal money in your operating budget,

another 75 in capital expenditures,

plus untold millions in pass-through
federal dollars from Annapolis.

All told, we're talking about...

half a billion a year
that Baltimore will be doing without.

Furthermore, the US attorney here
will use all the resources

of the Justice Department to interdict
and destroy any attempt

to establish a geographic entity
where drugs are legal.

Washington should know

that what happened in West Baltimore
in no way reflects

the policies of my administration.

That was an aberration, Mr. Thomas,
the work of one misguided police official.

We understand your concerns,
but, you know...

for the Deputy Drug Czar to take
the time out to drive 30 miles north

to deliver that message, hardly necessary.

Rest assured.

What up, G? Where the older ones at?

Marlo got his package back out.

Fire Burrell. This nonsense began
in his shop without him knowing it!

- Fire the man and move on.
- Odell.

I respect your opinion, but right now,

Tony Gray, Carcetti manoeuvring,
now is not the time.

Mm-mm.

No. We get past the primary,
then I'll drive a stake in his heart.

But right now I need him where he is,
if for no other reason than to...

well, to take the hit for this thing right here,
but I tell you what I'm gonna do, though.

I'm gonna shine on that new girl you like
in the 11th. Yeah.

Give her a spot on the ticket.
Cut Eunetta loose. Eunetta's had her day.

I respect the fact
that you stood by me, Odell.

I respect loyalty.

And did so without properly informing
his superior officers

and without regard to the criminal statutes
he was sworn to enforce,

thereby disgracing himself
and his command.

Is any of that subject to any contradiction

or argument whatsoever, Major Colvin?

- No, sir.
- No argument at all, Bunny?

Not much you can say, is there?
Not to real police.

- Get on with it, motherfucker.
- Excuse me, Major?

Is the admin-lieutenant present?

Major Colvin is relieved of duty.

You are now the acting commander
of the Western District.

Damn, Bernard,
didn't I tell you about these guys?

- Hey, Bunk.
- Hey, Freamon.

- Who's that, Crutchfield?
- No, Norris. Sleeping on a stakeout.

Yeah, that's everyone we heard on the wire.

McNulty's in number one with Pearlman.
Why don't you say hey?

You got to be the stupidest motherfucker
that I've ever gone out with.

I can't wait to go to jail.

What? What'd you say?
What the fuck did you say, Bernard?

Hmm.

Hey, Donald.

- You heard the tapes.
- He said we could sell drugs

if we move down to Vincent Street,
and that's where I moved my crew.

You were the one that popped me
with the G-pack

on my way to the spot, and let me go,
remember?

You were selling drugs
in Major Colvin's free zone?

- You can prove that?
- Ask him. He know.

This must be
one of them contrapment things.

- You mean entrapment?
- Kid's got a point.

Ha!

19 in bracelets from Barksdale on down,

another eight wanted on warrants.

Any way you can tie your case
to this mess with Colvin?

Make it like what he was doing
led to your thing?

I don't see it.

Well, it's good work nonetheless,
Major Daniels.

Call came in from the mayor's office
half-hour ago approving your promotion.

And now with Colvin,
there's a new vacancy.

- What about my wife?
- What about her?

The mayor. Eunetta's seat.

- Why would the mayor...
- Good police work maybe.

Not everything is politics.

- Hey, I'll take two. Western alumni.
- All right, you got it.

Major.

I heard.

How's your family take it?

Yeah.

Lolita done dropped herself 30 pounds
and got herself a real estate license, so...

I guess she's fixing to leave me.

I just wanted you to know that
last tip you gave me was a winner.

Yeah, I heard. That's good work.

Also, I don't know if you know,
Stringer Bell was shot to death two days ago.

So, anyway, I put his name on the paper
to tighten the PC.

I figured, what the fuck.
Once he's aced, right?

You always did cut them corners,
didn't you?

Seems like you cut a few yourself, Major.

However it ends, you're good police.

Look, I just did what I did.

It felt right.

I'm fine with that.

Tony, where's my vest, man?

- Thank you.
- Thanks.

I don't understand.

Drink your wine.

You and me in public.

- But your wife...
- She wins without me.

- On the mayor's ticket, she wins.
- And you make major?

I think she was waiting for this day
more than I ever was.

And now she's not here.

No. She's not.

From out of nowhere, huh?

Nowhere is right.

Why me?

I guess you don't live right.

- Kari, what was that?
- Nothing.

- What broke?
- Nothing, Mama.

So...

Yeah.

- You just drive over here.
- I did.

Why tonight? What happened?

I was in my old district tonight,

which is where I used to feel pretty good,
I think.

I wasn't so angry when I was there, anyway.

I don't know, someone said something,
I guess, and...

That doesn't make sense. Er...

- I guess I finished something today.
- A case?

More than that.

It's like everything I poured into a glass
came out the bottom.

And I just kept on pouring,
like the thing had a hole in it, you know?

The things that make me right for this job,

maybe they're the same things
that make me wrong for everything else.

Do you want to come inside for a drink?

Not tonight.

But if it's not too late,
I wouldn't mind meeting your kids.

Major Colvin misled his officers.

They thought that his initiative
was a tactical deployment

to entrap narcotics traffickers.

There was no mention whatsoever
of the initiative to any superior officer.

And for five weeks,

all evidence of what he was doing managed
to elude the entire command staff?

- Are you kidding, Commissioner?
- I take full responsibility.

And indeed, after I first learned of the matter,
I informed the mayor,

and together we moved immediately

to relieve Major Colvin of his command.

I'm under the impression that this
administration gave serious consideration

- to proceeding with Colvin's initiative.
- No, sir.

Major Colvin informed you of his effort
at COMSTAT more than a week ago.

His free zones stayed up
for six days after that.

That's, er, my responsibility, Councilman.

We needed to conclude an investigation
by the Major Crimes Unit,

a wiretap case that would have been
disrupted had we moved immediately.

Correct, Mayor Royce was aware
of the pending case

and allowed us to delay
our response accordingly.

But the mayor was unequivocal

in his opposition to what Major Colvin did.

What we have here
is nothing more complicated

than a solitary police commander who,
under great pressure,

proved to be amoral, incompetent
and unfit for command.

No. It's about more than that.

This is more important than who knew
what when, or who falls on his sword

or whether someone can use this disaster
to make a political point or two.

- Mr. Chairman...
- We can forgive Major Colvin,

who, out of his frustration and despair,

found himself condoning something
which can't possibly be condoned.

We can do that much.

But, gentlemen, what we can't forgive,

what I can't forgive...ever

is how we -
you, me, this administration, all of us -

how we turned away
from those streets in West Baltimore,

the poor, the sick,
the swollen underclass of our city

trapped in the wreckage of neighborhoods
which were once so prized,

communities which we've failed
to defend,

which we have surrendered to the horrors
of the drug trade,

and if this disaster demands anything of us
as a city,

it demands that we say "Enough."

Enough to the despair which makes
policemen think about surrender.

Enough to the fact that these neighborhoods
are beyond saving.

Enough to this administration's
indecisiveness and lethargy,

to the garbage which goes uncollected,
the lots and row houses which stay vacant,

the addicts who go untreated,

the working men and women who every day
are denied a chance at economic freedom.

Enough to the crime which every day chokes
more life from our city.

And the thing of it is, if we don't
take responsibility and step up,

not just for the mistakes and the miscues,

but for whether or not we're gonna win
this battle for our streets,

we're gonna lose these neighborhoods
and ultimately this city forever.

If we don't have the courage
and the conviction

to fight this war
the way it should and needs to be fought,

using every weapon
that we can possibly muster,

if that doesn't happen,

well, then we're staring at defeat.

And that defeat should not and cannot
and will not be forgiven.

It was a good case, I'm not denying that.

But I need to trust my people.

Unless you can give your word,
there's no way that I can...

That's more than fair. Thanks.

But it's better for me if I do something else.

Detective.

It's not you, it's me.

- But where...
- The Western, I think.

Yeah, the Western feels like home.

- You showed something today.
- Just felt like it needed to be said.

Sounds like you're running for something.

Eunetta. Been a while.

Thought y'all was in training.

So what time you want us
to be there tomorrow, Coach?

3:30 would be good.

- Hope to see y'all then.
- All right.

What the fuck y'all standing around for?
Man, get to work.

..to the false promise that our schools
are providing a future for our children.

This administration
and its top-heavy schools system...

Oh, you've been on a fast train

And it's going off the rails

And you can't come back
Can't come back again

And you start breaking down

In the pouring rain

Oh, you've been on a fast train

On a fast train

When your lover has gone away...

That's it. That's it.

Don't it make you feel sad?

- Yeah.
- And you've gone on a journey

Way into the land...

All right. One-two.

Then you start breaking down,
cos you're under strain

And you're jumping on

Yes, you're jumping on a fast train

Jumping on a fast train

Got to go on the lam

Stuck in no-man's land

Ain't nobody here on your waveband

Ain't nobody gonna lend you
a helping hand

And you start breaking down

Then you go to the sound

But you hear that fast train

Ooh, fast train

And you keep on moving

Unto the sound of the wheels

Oh, deep down in your heart

Do you really know how you feel?

Then you start breaking down

Go into the pain

Keep on moving on a fast train

Moving on a fast train

Way, way over the line

Next thing you're out of your mind

And you're out of your depth

As through the window she crept

Oh, there's nowhere to go,
in the sleet and snow

Just keep on moving

Ooh-oh

On a fast train

Moving on a fast train

You've got to go on the lam

Stuck in no-man's land

Ain't nobody on your waveband

Gonna lend you a helping hand

And you're all alone

Can you really make it on your own?

Keep on moving on a fast train

Before you're going nowhere fast

Somebody lend a helping hand,
I can't understand

Going through this crazy land

I'm a crazy man,
Lord help me on a fast train...

In the cases of Malik Carr, aka Poot,

Herbert DeRodd Johnson, aka Puddin',
Arthur Carroll...

What do you see right here?

It's bulk metal, ten cent a pound.

Here.

- Aluminum.
- Right you are.

30 cent a pound. No problem.

You see, in these modern times,

a man got to keep one eye on the ground,
pick up what he find, feel me?

There's money to be made
if you know where to look.

I hope you listening
cos I'm trying to school you.

- Uh?
- Uh-huh.

Yeah, you don't want to know.
You think you're brown, but you still green.

How you doing?

That's something, huh?

Like they just took a big eraser
and rubbed across it.

Yeah.

Yeah, but before,
a dope fiend come down here,

cop a little something,
ain't nary a soul hassle him.

Hoppers and police, they just let him be.

Mm-hm.

Was a good thing, huh?

I'm just saying.

You probably don't know,
but it's rough out there, baby.

Cops be back banging on you,
hoppers be messing with you.

Yeah, thank you.

Oh, shit. There's a dollar here. That's a seed.

Come on, boy.