NOPD!
[g*nf*re]
LAUGHTON: Officer down.
TAYLOR: Mark Palmer, a 12-year veteran of the NOPD.
The D.A. is taking a fresh look into some excessive force cases.
This is the first time I've ever had the mayor get involved.
Not trying to step on any toes.
You can step on anything you want if it helps me get to the truth.
Then these cops show up out of nowhere, started b*ating the hell out of me.
PRIDE: These three guys had multiple complaints filed against them over the years.
This is starting to soundlike it wasn't just a random cop k*lling.
struggle like this makes me wonder how any of us are gonna get through it.
HANNAH: NOPD spotted the man who k*lled Officer Palmer.
Yeah, I was in fear for my life, so I took appropriate action.
HANNAH: We're too late, Pride.
BLAKELY: None of this has anything to do with you.
You abuse the badge and that reflects on all of us who wear it.
So get ready.
I'm coming for you.
World is falling apart, I'm telling you.
Walls are closing in.
Relax, Lenny.
Since when do cops investigate other cops for doing their jobs?
Don't get emotional.
Blakely, they're not gonna stop until they get us fired.
Or sent to prison.
No one's getting fired.
No one's going to prison.
You don't know that.
Relax, Yates.
I got some ideas.
♪ Boom, boom, boom, boom
♪ Bang, bang, bang, bang
♪ Boom, boom, boom, boom
♪ How, how, how, how
♪ Hey, hey
♪ You gotta come on.
Sounds like y'all had your hands full.
Quentin Carter, meet Investigator Maya Hidalgo, NOPD Force Investigation Team.
Yeah, I heard you got a bad cop problem.
More like bad cops.
And another officer's dead because of it.
Yeah.
Why don't you fill him in?
HIDALGO:Officer Mark Palmer was k*lled by career criminalLamont Russell on what was a routine B and E call.
But it's pretty clear Russell was coerced to k*ll the officer by DetectiveBlakely and Officer Yates.
Which we can't prove sinceBlakely sh*t and k*lled Russell while he was supposedlythreatening his life.
Do we know why Blakely and Yates would set Officer Palmer up?
Palmer was gonna offer testimony on a series of excessive force complaints involving all three of them.
Again, we can't prove that.
He never said a word to anyone.
Wasn't there another officer that heard what Palmer was gonna say?
If there were, they wouldn't speak up.
They're afraid of being blacklisted, harassed.
Or k*lled.
Just like Palmer.
Yeah, no good deed goes unpunished, huh?
HIDALGO:Face it all the time.
It's why good cops don'tcross the thin blue line.
And how bad cops stay protected.
I'm being told to close the case.
Well, we're not doing that.
Palmer had something to share.
Something worth k*lling him over, and when we find out what, these guys are going to jail.
HIDALGO: They brutalized God knows how many people with excessive force.
But even if we got a lot of these victims to testify, how can we make sure it'll stick?
[phone beeps]
I may have an option.
The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.
You want to make it a RICO case?
Isn't that usually used against the mob?
In recent years,the Justice Department has been using itin more creative ways.
They've gone afterstreet gangs, corporations.
Police departments.
RITA: Full disclosure, it's only been successful once against a police department.
Rampart in Los Angeles.
This is a long sh*t?
Long sh*t, Hail Mary, last stand.
For this to work, you'd have to prove three things.
That the officers were coordinated, like a g*ng, that they conspired to commit illegal activity and that they benefitted financially from it.
We go RICO, we keep the case open, continue to investigate on a federal level.
And hope you find something.
Gonna get pushback from the department.
They'll say it's a witch hunt.
PRIDE: Yeah.
Of course you will, but Zahra, this is our chance to hold these men accountable for their actions.
Okay.
I'm willing to try it.
Where do we start?
Well, problematic officers tend to be problematic people.
We do enough digging, we're bound to find something.
♪ I'll be on the block with the homie so dope ♪
♪ Every time you see me I be chilling with my folks ♪
♪ You can catch me trippingwhen I'm thinking of a million ♪
♪ How to get them Jacksons like I'm Remy on the low ♪
♪ Climbing to the top like I'mtrying to reach the ceiling... ♪
CJ!
♪ Don't worry about no hater 'cause it's sweet... ♪
CJ, turn it down!
It's giving me a headache.
[lowers volume]
Oh.
Hey, Ma.
Sorry, I-I was getting hyped for tomorrow.
Check it out.
Drama in the front...
comedy in the back.
What is all this?
It's for the protest tomorrow.
What protest?
Through the French Quarter.
Marching to City Hall.
Told you last week.
You said I could go.
I said maybe.
And it was depending on COVID numbers.
No.
You said that I need to go with friends and wear a mask but that you were "cool" with it.
Well, I'm no longer cool.
I'm the one who organized my friends.
Everyone's expecting me.
What am I supposed to say?
Say that I changed my mind, and they can march just fine without you.
Have another glass, maybe you'll change it back.
You're out of line.
Whatever.
CJ.
CJ!
[door slams]
I don't understand.
So she's ghosting you?
No.
We talk every day.
Then there's something in her tone?
Tone is the same.
Well, then, what is it?
What's what?
What nothing.
Something's going on with Tammy's new girlfriend and she won't tell me what.
There's nothing to tell.
It's just a sense I get.
Oh.
I thought we liked Kara.
We do.
That's the problem.
Well, it's only a problem if she's married.
[laughs, gasps]
She's married.
Guys, she's not married.
And I'm not getting bored or scared, which is a first.
I really want her in my life, which is also a first, and things are really great, which is really problematic.
Why?
Because we've been dating for a while and I really want to introduce her to my family and that's not an option.
Because your mom doesn't know you're gay.
Yeah.
Okay, well, then just tell her.
[exhales]
Okay.
I'm gonna.
Wait, really?
Yeah.
That's great!
What an amazing step.
Yeah, it's great and amazing, except I feel like I'm gonna vomit or pass out.
I-I really don't know how she's gonna react.
Hey, can we just focus on the bad cops we're trying to catch, please?
I guess.
Fair enough.
Okay, great.
So the archives allowed us to see the entirety of Palmer, Yates, and Blakely's complaint history.
And we found something a little odd.
Typically, with officers who have a record of complaints, the incidents are sporadic.
Here and there, usually later in the officer's career.
Yeah, but in the case of Palmer, Yates and Blakely, they were getting complaints filed against them right out of the police academy, as rookies.
Well, that could be a coincidence.
We thought that, too.
So we randomly picked files of officers who had a high volume of misconduct complaints.
Same force pattern.
Right out of the academy.
Yeah, and we think we know why.
The common thread is their academy instructor, Commander Pat Campbell.
You think he's the reason they're coming out aggressive?
So there's this concept in police academies called "warrior training." It teaches this "us versus them" philosophy.
Campbell's been teaching this in seminars all across the South.
Suggests these behaviors of the officers is not an isolated incident but systemic.
And more importantly, organized, which is a bar for Rico.
I'll let Pride know to check out Commander Campbell.
CAMPBELL: Our current modules include psychology, criminology, investigation and evidence.
But the curriculum changes every year.
Would you say any of your modules make for officers who are more forceful or combative?
Ah.
Warrior training.
No, we don't do that.
PRIDE: Really?
Because you've taught seminars on the subject.
I did.
Few years back.
But like I say, we change with the times.
There's been a significant number of officers accumulating excessive force complaints right out of the academy.
It suggests that the times haven't changed much.
I was told I had to talk to you.
Got to ask why a couple of Navy cops are so interested in our training.
We're just trying to determine whether there's a correlation between what your officers learn here and their actions on the streets.
Any particular officers you have in mind?
'Cause I've trained hundreds.
Let's just keep it general for now.
Oh, well, general, you might want to talk to the field training officers.
First thing most FTOs say to a rookie is "Forget everything you learned at the academy." Seems counterproductive.
We try to teach our cadets to be thoughtful members of the community.
FTOs try to teach them how to survive in the real world.
Well, what about the, uh, the recruits themselves?
Any patterns of belligerence?
Are some recruits more aggressive than others?
Sure.
Takes a particular type of person who wants to be a cop.
And it's a struggle for New Orleans to find quality candidates.
People who can not only do the job, but who want to do the job.
So you just rubber-stamp anyone who comes through the door.
Was that a question or a statement?
We're just trying to understand what you're telling us.
Recruiting's a challenge, but we weed out the hotheads and the g*n nuts to put the best men and women on the streets.
Now, unless there's any specific officers you want to ask me about...
Yeah, we do.
What can you tell us about these two?
CAMPBELL: Hmm.
Blakely and Yates.
Middle-of-the-pack candidates.
Made it through without a problem.
There's been nothing but problems since they graduated.
We're investigating them for excessive force, You know how many complaints get lodged against every one of us.
No.
I've never put anyone in the hospital for "resisting arrest." No, me neither, but Blakely and Yates, it's like a revolving door at the ICU.
I told you what I know.
They were good cadets.
No problems here.
As far as I understand, they sacrifice a lot to keep the public safe.
Now, if you'll excuse me.
Got a difference of opinion on that one.
[piano music playing]
♪ [lock clacks, door opens]
♪ When we are apart
[chuckles]
♪ I will remember
♪ The summer
♪ Remember when everything
[safe beeps]
♪ Was bright and new...
[sighs]
Rita?
What is that incredible smell?
It's crawfish étouffée.
And, yes, I know the risk I take cooking one of your specialties.
I have no doubt that it will be amazing.
You know that's not necessary.
All I need is for you to be here.
[chuckles]
Well, it's been a few months.
And, you know, you won't let me give you any money for rent or...
Well, that's the Southern gentleman in me.
So I put it all on the line with my étouffée.
[laughing]: Okay.
So I want you to have a taste, but be kind.
♪ I will be wishing
♪ On starlight...
Mmm.
Mmm.
That's nice.
Really?
Mm-hmm.
Mm.
NOPD!
NOPD, get on the ground!
On the ground now!
Fingers behind your head!
Show us your hands!
Rita, stay down!
Down, down!
Ollie Harris, we have a warrant for your arrest.
My name's Dwayne Pride.
I'm a federal agent with NCIS.
My credentials are in my back pocket.
I'll show you right-- [grunts]
Oh, Dwayne!
Okay, this is Rita Devereaux.
She's a former attorney with the Department of Justice.
Handcuff the suspects.
Look, if you'll just lookat my credentials that arein the back pocket...
You're about to make a huge mistake here.
What the hell is this?
It's what I told you!
I'm NCIS!
No Ollie Harris?
No!
No, no!
There's no Ollie Harris here.
It's just the two of us that you've handcuffed on the floor of my apartment.
Uncuff them.
You okay?
You okay?
No.
My heart is b*ating so fast, it feels like it's gonna explode.
It'll be okay.
Your credentials, Agent Pride.
What the hell was that?
We were executing a no-knock warrant on an Ollie Harris.
Wanted on g*n possession and manslaughter.
C.I.
gave us this address.
And you didn't think to double-check?
My God, Dwayne's owned this building for years.
He's well-known in the community.
And your department!
Who's the lead detective on this case?
I couldn't tell you that.
Commanding SWAT officer gave us that assignment.
I'm gonna want his name.
And your supervisor.
Pack it up, team.
Sorry for the mix-up.
Rita?
Rita, are you sure you're okay?
No, I'm not!
I'm gonna call and find out who's responsible for this and raise some hell.
Don't bother.
This was Blakely.
Dwayne!
[indistinct chatter]
I mean, I don't know what...Hey!
Hey!
[grunts]
Get your hands off him!
You want to come after me, fine, I can take it.
That's felonious as*ault, Special Agent Pride.
But you come after the people I care about, you're gonna get hurt.
He seems upset, doesn't he, Yates?
You sent SWAT to my home.
Oh, I heard about that.
Hit the wrong address?
Hell of a mistake.
It was no mistake.
You got a lot of accusations.
But not a lot of proof.
I know it was you.
And what are you gonna do about it?
Let's go outside, I'll show you.
HIDALGO: Hey!
What the hell are you thinking, Pride?
Let go of him!
Excellent timing, Hidalgo.
This isn't over.
It's absolutely over.
Start walking!
Now!
What were you thinking?
I'm already out on a limb keeping this case open and now you pull this?
They sent a tactical team to my house.
They terrorized Rita.
Yeah, I know.
Confronting him might feel good, but it only screws you.
I got plenty of witnesses who saw you put your hands on Blakely.
You've got nothing to prove they swatted you.
You're jeopardizing our credibility.
They're not getting away with this.
They will...
unless you act smart.
Think about it-- they're scared.
Why else would they harass you like this?
Whatever path you're on must be the right one, so stay on it.
Stay out of their way until you can put cuffs on them.
It's nice tonight.
Stars out.
Mosquitos aren't sucking us dry.
[both laugh]
Where's CJ?
Usually he'd be trying to dip in our conversation about now.
Well, he's in his room.
He's mad at me, 'cause I won't let him go to the protest tomorrow.
March to City Hall-- why can't he go?
Because he's 16 without a clue about the world and the dangers that lie out there.
It's a peaceful protest.
Even I'm participating.
These kids think that they will live forever.
But this expert will tell you they will not.
That's a lot to carry, Loretta.
Mm.
That's what I keep telling him.
I'm talking about you.
Me?
I'm fine.
I'm a strong Black woman.
I can't be anything but fine.
Well, this strong Black woman is struggling.
[chuckles]
Arguing more with my husband.
Getting three hours of sleep at night.
And when I can close my eyes...
I can't rest for worrying about the city.
I'm running on fumes.
And I'm not too proud to admit it.
Now that's the brave face our mothers force on us.
Heaven forbid a woman, especially a Black woman, show the least bit of righteous anger.
It just shifts so quickly from strong, Black woman to angry Black woman in these people's eyes.
And a thin line between them.
I swear...
sometimes I can't breathe.
Pressure's so crushing.
This will help.
Oh, no, no, no.
Loretta, look...
Does it?
Well, takes the edge off.
Keeps me sane.
But does it give you peace?
Well, gee, that sounds...
less like a question and more like a judgment, Zahra.
No judgment.
Just observation.
I don't think the wine is helping.
I don't think it's none of your business.
You know, it's getting pretty late.
[clears throat]
And we both have a long night of not sleeping ahead of us.
Of course.
Take care, Loretta.
♪ [beeping]
You know...
Carter, you have a really unnatural relationship with that machine.
What's wrong with regular coffee, huh?
Mm-hmm, you're not fooling me.
You're the one who clogged my milk frother while I was gone, weren't you?
I don't know what you're talking about.
You use it, you clean it.
That's the rule.
[phone ringing]
[sighs]
Everything okay?
Call I have to make and I don't want to.
Traditionally, this is where you ask me what call I have to make.
Mm, uh-uh.
See, that's complicated.
I keep it simple.
You want to tell me, you will.
Well...
I'm telling my mom I'm gay.
Roman Catholic?
Oh, yeah, real old-school.
My cousin married a Protestant and was practically disowned by the whole family.
I'm not even sure how she's gonna react to this, but I'm sure it's not good.
How do you deliver bad news to your family?
With unbridled joy.
[laughs]
I live to piss them off.
But the difference between our situations is your news isn't bad.
It's not good.
You're telling your mom who you are.
That's all-- not bad, not good.
Just the truth.
Yeah, well...
the truth is that my mother had really high expectations for me, Carter-- I'm not sure I lived up to any of them.
Well, if she doesn't, screw her.
Respectfully.
I mean, you're a beautiful, confident, capable woman-- any parent would be proud to have you.
If your mom needs time to catch up to that fact, that's on her.
That's nice, Carter.
Thank you.
CARTER: I try.
Pride.
We heard what happened, Pride.
You okay?
Yeah, I'm fine.
We need copies of all the NOPD archived misconduct files on Blakely and Yates.
Yeah, I got them here.
Good.
Hidalgo's getting us their employment records, psychiatric evaluations, background checks-- we'll, we'll cross-reference.
What are we looking for?
I'm not sure exactly.
But Hidalgo had a good point.
Blakely wouldn't have come at me unless we were on to something.
Well, last place that we went was the academy.
Commander Campbell.
Pointing us to the field training officers.
But something tells me we need to look for a connection to him.
Dwayne Pride?
Ned Jacobs, Blakely and Yates' union rep.
What do you need?
Well, I need for you to leave them the hell alone.
They're under federal investigation.
Yeah, yeah, I heard all about your wild accusations of misconduct, m*rder of one of their own.
You got no evidence.
Investigation's ongoing.
Yeah, well, it's a witch hunt.
You're slandering these officers' good names and reputations.
And Mark Palmer?
He was a cop, too.
Officer Palmer was k*lled by a career criminal.
Who was k*lled by Blakely.
That doesn't seem strange to you?
It seems like justice.
What is your agenda here, Pride?
Other than assaulting my officers?
How about keeping bad cops off the streets so the rest of us can do our jobs and the public doesn't live in fear?
Yeah, well, these men, they're exceptional officers.
Brutally b*ating a sailor for a misunderstanding?
Putting another man in a coma?
There's a pattern!
Yeah, well, let's talk about patterns, Pride.
Because you don't have to go too far into your past to see one.
Watch it.
Maybe it's not official record, but, oh, you dig deeper, you hear stories.
Kidnapping elected officials, questionable sh**t.
That's enough!
That's enough.
Leave.
Maybe take a hard look at yourself, Pride...
before you come at one of my guys.
Out!
Now.
Go.
What was that about?
Nothing.
Listen, Pride...
You think that union rep was threatening you?
[sighs]
More like a warning, I guess.
I try to stand by the actions I've taken.
But...
I've done things.
You're a good cop.
A good man.
You're also your father's son, which sometimes that can manifest in unexpected ways.
You think I'm like him?
I think you've worked so hard to not be like him that maybe you've overcompensated.
We are our actions.
I've crossed the line, Rita.
More than once.
Even if it was for the right reasons.
I tried to adjust.
But when SWAT was cuffing you on the ground, I saw red.
I'm okay.
And when I went after Blakely, I was ready to k*ll him.
Okay, you were angry.
So was I.
I'm not kidding.
I would've k*lled him.
But you didn't, Dwayne.
You got your head back in the game.
This time.
I have so many doubts.
Look...
you don't like the way you act, you fix it.
You get your house in order, but you don't stop going after Blakely and Yates.
They need to answer for what they've done.
[playing jazz music]
What'd you get?
I'm the one that's supposed to be doing the emotional eating.
This is how I think.
I eat.
I got it, by the way.
Don't move.
Sebastian, I'm stuck.
I called my mom earlier and I can't do this.
I don't know what to say.
Maybe I should, like, um, send her a meme or a text or something, you know?
Like, break her in.
Do they make "coming out" memes?
That's, like, the worst idea I've ever heard in my life.
Well, then, what should I say?
Why don't you just practice on me?
That way you can work it out without any pressure.
Mm, I don't know.
Yeah.
Aw, it's gonna be great.
Come on.
Give me a second, I've gotta...
[clears throat]
[sighs]
[clears throat]
All right, I'm ready.
Mom, I'd like to talk to you.
Tammy, oh, my God, where have you been?
I was so worried that something had happened to you.
I've been praying for you all week.
Are you okay?
I've been worried that somethinghas happened with your job...
What is this?
That was your mom.
Was that no good?
No, it's too good and it's weirding me out.
All right, well, let's, come on, take if from the top.
All right.
Um...
Ma?
Um...
Hmm?
I'd like to talk to you.
I'd really appreciate if you'd listen to me and...
and let me finish what I have to say.
Of course, my little Tammy bear.
What do you want to talk about?
This is really hard for me.
Yeah, I'm listening, baby girl.
And...
I've been keeping something in.
Mm.
Not-not telling you something because I love you and I don't want to hurt you.
But it's like I'm living a lie, a-and I don't want to live like this anymore, you know?
What is it, sweetheart?
I...
I-I can't.
I can't-- I can't, I can't do this.
You're doing great.
It's all fun and games until I drop the b*mb on her.
Nope.
T, you got this.
You're fine.
I don't got this.
[phone chimes]
Is that my mother?
Is she texting you?
Why would your mother text me?
Because she's got this sick sixth sense, and she knows something's going on.
It's not your mother.
It's a friend of mine in D.C.
I had him run Yates' and Blakely's name through a government database.
Looks like he found something.
[siren whoops]
Ordinance number 99.230 requires all persons within the New Orleans city limits to wear a mask.
I have a mask.
Wearing it around your chin doesn't count.
I'm outside.
There's no one around.
Still got to write you up.
Step over here, put your hands on the hood.
Wh-Why, man?
Need to check you for weapons.
Or dr*gs.
You're on some BS and you know it.
Just trying to harass people.
Every word out of your mouth makes this harder on you.
Hey.
Officer Yates.
I'm gonna need you to step over here for a minute.
Inspector Hidalgo was kind enough to provide us with your detail authorizations.
Those are just a bunch of permission slips NOPD gives us to work outside security.
Yeah.
I know.
Nothing shady about it.
Well, according to this, you worked a substantial number of hours over the last couple of years at Cleo's Canteen.
Yeah.
Worked security.
You got a problem with that?
No, I don't.
Internal Revenue Service might.
This is the last five years of your tax returns.
A lot of unreported income.
[scoffs]
This is a joke.
Well, there's nothing funny about tax evasion.
Al Capone went to prison for it.
However, if you are willing to open up about Officer Palmer's m*rder, we might be able to help you out with this.
You don't have the authority to arrest me for tax evasion.
That's true.
I don't.
But, uh...
he does.
This is Larry from the IRS.
I flew him in from D.C., special, just for you.
You Navy cops are a trip.
Yeah, okay, bring him on.
Just make sure to call my union rep first, 'cause I got nothing to say.
[door opens]
You get anything out of Yates?
No, he's not gonna talk.
But he may not have to.
Happen to remember Commander Campbell's tattoo?
Uh, the fire-breathing dragon?
Yeah, yeah, kind of hard to miss.
[chuckles]: Yeah.
Yates has the same one.
You know, secret societies have flourished among police departments since before the Civil w*r.
Yeah.
They used to call them brotherhoods, fraternities, but they're really just a g*ng.
If that's what we got going on here, we'll meet one of the requirements for RICO.
PATTON: I've been going through photos on the NOPD's public website as well as their social media.
Look what I found.
PRIDE: Campbell, Yates, Blakely, Palmer, all with the same tattoo.
Call themselves the Spitfires.
Their creed: "Order by any means." And there's a lot of them.
I counted 13.
They all graduated from the academy when Campbell took command.
All with questionable psych evals.
Campbell's passing them through to feed the organization.
Sounds like conspiracy to me.
Ain't that another bar to meet RICO?
We don't need Yates to flip on Blakely at all.
We've met two of the three bars needed for a RICO prosecution.
And if these Spitfires are using their positions to make money...
We'd meet the third bar for RICO.
Taking Yates and Blakely down, and every other Spitfire with them.
Anything yet?
We've been going through NOPD's excessive force complaints for members of the Spitfires.
They average 40% more complaints than the others.
How does something like that not get noticed?
Police department's not tracking data.
If you want to curb excessive force at the NOPD, start with these 13 cops.
Rita spoke to the Organized Crime and g*ng Section at the DOJ.
They're gonna hear our RICO pitch.
That's good news.
[chuckles]: Yeah.
But it means we have to have one.
I mean, we can make a case that these Spitfires are a g*ng involved in a conspiracy, but are they profiting from it?
Might have something there.
We knew Yates was earning cash on the side doing security work, so we looked into the other guys.
Got the detail authorizations for the other Spitfire members.
They all have healthy moonlighting gigs across the city.
More security work.
Well, that's not unusual.
Moonlighting as a cop is voluntary.
Some want it more than others.
True, but what stands out about these authorizations is that they all work for one company: Alpha Dog Security.
Commander Pat Campbell established the LLC in 2017.
He owns the company that employs every single one of the Spitfires?
You two... may have just proved our case.
It just never seems to end, does it?
Uh, it's slowed down some, at least.
Loretta, I want to apologize for the other night.
Running my mouth.
I didn't mean to overstep.
I should apologize.
You were just trying to help, and...
I am having a hard time.
I get it.
We're all suffering.
All looking for relief.
If you need a little extra wine at night...
Oh, it helps quiet my mind, let's me sleep.
I know.
It's just not like you.
These are desperate times, Zahra.
There's so much needless suffering.
I keep trying to look for the meaning, why are they putting us through this-- can't find it.
May be above our pay grade, Loretta.
May be something we just have to get through.
And we may need support to do it.
Friendship and family.
Yes, of course.
But sometimes we need to go to a professional.
Talk to someone.
I know you have in the past, and it's been helpful.
Therapy?
Who's got the time?
You make the time.
Okay.
I'll drink herbal tea at night and just get my act together.
Sure, but being a strong Black woman sometimes means having the courage to ask for help.
Commander Campbell pushes these guys through the academy.
He cultivates them.
And if they're aggressive and keep quiet, they're Spitfire material.
"Order by any means" is their motto?
They're nothing but a g*ng.
And Campbell's making money off them, hiring them out as security.
g*ng, conspiracy, racketeering.
You think it'll make as a RICO case?
Rita's pitching it to DOJ now.
Listen, when I went after Blakely...
You don't have to.
We all got something inside that we try to keep at bay.
Sometimes it's harder than others.
Far as I'm concerned, Blakely and Yates are murderers.
As bad as any criminal we ever go after.
Worse really, since we have to jump through hoops on the slim hope we can take them down for racketeering.
I want to take a swing at them, too.
Rita.
The Justice Department understood what the team was trying to accomplish, they commended our work and creativity for meeting the standards of the RICO statute.
Uh, so we got an "attaboy"?
They applauded your effort to take down bad cops, but they're declining the case.
The evidence just wasn't strong enough to get a conviction.
They won't commit the resources.
Where does this leave us?
Back at square one.
Well, it's official.
Yates lawyered up.
He won't flip on Blakely.
He's willing to take the IRS hit.
[scoffs]
And let's face it, he's probably not gonna get any time.
Which means Blakely's gonna walk, too.
No justice for Palmer or any of the other victims.
Yeah, this pisses me off.
Me, too.
But all we can do is keep working, the right way.
T-There's plenty of other cops doing the same thing.
And these guys just get away with it.
How are we supposed to change the system when the system keeps getting in the way?
Honestly, I don't know.
But we can't give up.
Hey.
I'm looking for Pride.
Got something he requested.
You know I'm willing to help whenever possible, but I'm still not understanding why you wanted the time cards of the Spitfire officers.
I had a hunch, but I wanted proof before I said anything.
And I have the proof right here.
Pride wanted me to cross-reference the time cards with the Alpha Dog's work schedule.
You notice anything unusual?
It looks like these officers are working security while on patrol.
Can't be two places at the same time.
They're double-dipping, and lying.
Either they're getting paid not to work for the city or they're getting paid not to work for security.
Both ways are against the rules.
But not the law.
It's not a criminal offense.
But it is a fireable one.
So if we can't put them behind bars...
We can get them off the force.
YATES: This is ridiculous.
BLAKELY: Take it easy, Yates.
We'll be back.
Oh, I bet you think you did something today, but I got your number.
By the time I'm done suing, I will own you, this department, this entire city.
Yeah.
Until then, the badge stays with us.
You got my number too, right?
Feeling pretty good about yourself?
You're a bad cop and a m*rder*r.
And all you did was lose your job.
I've had better days, but it's a start.
Want to pick up where we left off?
[chuckles]: No.
I don't want to kick your ass anymore.
I want to make you pay.
Full freight, for ruining the reputation of the NOPD and for k*lling two men.
This isn't over.
Not by a long sh*t.
Can't believe how satisfying that felt.
Feel better when we can put him in cuffs.
Problem for another day.
Lunch?
If you're buying.
GREGORIO: Okay.
Yeah, no, let me get back to you.
Let me think about it.
Okay.
Yeah.
Bye.
Hey.
Everything all right?
I think so.
What happened?
I just spoke to my mother.
You told her?
[exhales]
Didn't have to.
She already knew I was gay.
She did?
Yes.
All these years I've agonized over telling her, like, suffering in silence, dreading the day she found out.
She knew it.
She knew it the entire time.
That's great.
You should be happy.
[exhales]
I am...
I guess.
Ah...
It's just, like, she wants to meet Kara, like, now.
I've never had my mother meet a girlfriend.
I've never had a girlfriend for more than a few weeks.
Yeah, it's-it's...
it's growth.
It's terrifying.
[door closes]
Oh.
Hey, Mom.
Another late night at work?
Actually, I took off early because I had an appointment with a therapist.
Black people don't go to therapy.
This one does.
It can help when you're struggling with a problem you don't know how to solve by yourself.
Especially in these times when life just seems so out of control.
I know I've been a pain in the butt lately.
Been drinking more than usual.
I haven't noticed.
[laughs]
Yes, you have.
And that's fine.
You're old enough to know what's going on in the world right now.
It feels like I have a lot on my shoulders.
You don't have to explain.
Yes, I do.
It's, uh, it's just that...
things have been enormously stressful, and to cope, I'd been using the wine as a crutch.
That's not fair to you.
I'm sorry.
I can help take care of you.
[laughs softly]
Thank you, CJ.
But you're my son.
You shouldn't have to take care of me.
I take care of me.
And you.
And the first steps are to be with these.
Need to get your signs together.
Protest happened a few days ago.
Mm.
There's a Black Lives Matter protest on Saturday, and we're gonna be there.
Word?
Word.
Oh, Rita?
Those go up there.
Okay.
Got it.
[sniffles]
Uh-uh.
[knocking on door]
[safe beeps]
Ah, Mayor Taylor.
Yeah.
Come on in.
Sorry for the late visit.
PRIDE: Oh, no.
No-no problem at all.
Can I get you something to drink?
Uh, you want to sit down?
Oh, no.
No.
I'm fine, thank you.
Uh, this will actually be a brief visit.
What's going on?
I just wanted to thank you for all the work you did on the Palmer case.
Oh, well, I appreciate that, but it feels incomplete to me.
Blakely and Yates are still walking the streets.
Don't sell yourself short, Dwayne.
Due to your efforts, they're off the force, as well as 11 other officers who had no business wearing the badge in the first place.
That's a great start.
Much more to be done.
That's actually why I'm here.
Loretta said something to me about the collective trauma New Orleans is going through right now, and how the city deserves better.
I couldn't agree more.
I started thinking about everything we need to rebuild once COVID is over and how to rebuild in a way that serves all the citizens better.
Well, what did you have in mind?
A lot of systemic issues plaguing the city.
Not just over-policing, but housing, schools, health care, childcare.
It...
Ooh, each one of those could take years of work just to unravel the problems.
Which is why I've decided to create a task force to look into some of these issues.
Uh, recommend the big changes, yes, but also the small ones that could really make a difference in someone's life, and I'd like you to join, Dwayne.
[laughs]
Well...
Oh, y-- No.
I'm-I'm flattered, but I am no politician.
No, you are someone who gets things done.
And that's why I want you.
I need you, really.
I'd ask you to think about it, but the Dwayne I know already has an answer.
So, are you in?