- Two officers are shot and killed in the line of duty; however, Captain Raydor's internal investigation could jeopardize Major Crimes' chances of finding the killers.
- The Major Crimes squad pulls out all the stops to solve the murder of two obviously ambushed patrolmen. Brenda is convinced that teenager Kevin Weber, also found dead at the scene, was part of a gang that killed the policemen. Unfortunately for her, she comes up against Capt. Sharon Raydor, whose unit is tasked with investigating all cases where a police officer might have discharged his firearm and killed a citizen. While Brenda works from the assumption that Kevin is guilty until proved otherwise, Capt. Raydor assumes he's innocent until proven guilty.—garykmcd
- The police dispatcher alerts all units there's a citizen report of shots fired. The helicopter checks it out. They see a black and white on the ground -- and a body. The dispatcher reports that the officers on site aren't responding.
We see street level - they're not responding because they're lying on the street, dead. The helicopter calls for paramedics. He looks for suspects and calls for everyone.
Later, the scene is roped off and police officers crawl all over the area. A mobile command center is set up. Dozens of bullet casings dot the street. The team, including Provenza and Flynn, survey the area forlornly. Brenda arrives and checks the body of a young white man under a sheet.
Provenza lays out the best guess of the situation, that the officers stopped a car and were ambushed.
The casings are from assault rifles.
Before Brenda can ask any more questions Captain Sharon Raydor (Mary McDonnell) arrives and starts giving directions. Brenda isn't exactly pleased to see her.
When Flynn and Provenza give her personal background on the dead officers, she reminds them now's a time to keep emotions out of the investigation.
Brenda doesn't think her officer-involved investigation is warranted. She thinks the body in the wife beater under the sheet was an attacker, only killed by the police in self defense. But she can't prove it. So Raydor is staying.
The dead kid is Kevin Weber, an 18-year-old. Witnesses saw a dark brown car. But Brenda's not handing that out because she doesn't want a witch hunt.
Pope suggests to Raydor that if she wants to find out why they fired their weapons she visit the morgue. She tersely explains, in her calm Mary McDonnell "I'm the boss" way, that she has to find out to the truth to head off a civil suit and prevent their names from being sullied.
Pope rules that she and major crimes will both work the case, but it's Brenda's scene.
Brenda and Sgt. Gabriel go to Weber's house to execute a search warrant. Raydor wants to go to make the notification. Brenda suggests she take her own car.
At his house, his gruff mother isn't being cooperative and even refers to Gabriel as "boy," then plucks something out of Sanchez's hands when he tries to look at it. She asks why they're there. Brenda wants to ask more questions, but Raydor talks over her and tells Mrs. Weber her son is dead.
She gets upset at the news, saying he left a few hours ago. Sanchez tries to hold her back and she shouts: "Get your hands off me, I do not want to be touched by a Mexican!"
Gabriel calls from Kevin's bedroom. It's got a huge Nazi flag on the ceiling and Adolf Hitler pictures on the walls. Raydor says Kevin didn't have tattoos or a shaved head, so it's not guaranteed he was in a gang.
"We might have been able to figure that out if you hadn't short stopped by investigation," Brenda snarls at her.
Gabriel finds a drawing from a tattoo parlor of a skull over a swastika with two lightning bolts. Sanchez says in gangs you don't get the bolts under you kill someone.
But it's still not enough for Raydor to think Kevin's just a victim.
Back at the station the two dead officers are on the board. A young white man named Mike Stern and a Hispanic man named Enrique Duran. The place is swarming with officers answering calls to the tip line.
Flynn, on the phone, learns that Raydor's FID has his ballistics report.
In Pope's office, Fritz tells Brenda he'll look into white gangs.
Brenda hears Provenza and Flynn shouting and goes to investigate. They've learned that while they were serving the search warrant FID came and took all the evidence. Raydor says they'll have it back. Brenda storms off.
"Which part of 'The scene belongs to major crimes' did you not understand, captain?" Pope asks Raydor. In his office, Brenda is outraged to learn Raydor has also spoken to the coroner. Pope tells her to release the evidence and personally bring the items to Brenda.
A while later, Raydor drops a box off to Flynn. She adds that they found the broken tail light at the scene was on every Olds Cutlass from 1985 on.
Brenda interviews the tattoo artist, Adrian. Taylor tells Raydor she'll wait her turn. He says he tattoos Aryans but doesn't recognize Kevin's picture. Gabriel reminds him associating with known felons would violate his parole. When that's not enough to make him talk, Brenda thanks him for his help, adding she might release his photo to the media as a hero for standing up to the Aryans. Adrian doesn't love this idea.
On his second try, he says Kevin was in a few weeks ago with some bad dudes. One's name was "Stumper" or "Trooper." He has their tattoos in his book - both Nazi symbols.
Back in the squad room, Brenda asks Taylor to make sure the officer's biographies make the news. She asks him to get Raydor off her back. He says he wishes he could give her her own office, but Raydor has a case, too. Brenda finds a good idea in this.
She calls the room to attention, passing out the AKAs and tattoo info. She wants every suspected neo Nazi and skinhead rounded up. "I want a message sent to these people, kill cops and you will not live to regret it," she shouts. She tries to turn the floor over to Raydor, but they ignore her until Provenza shouts for quiet.
Meanwhile, Brenda tells Buzz no one is allowed in her office. She listens to the original dispatch tape. Frustrated, she tears Kevin's picture in two. Provenza and Tao interrupt. Tao fielded a tip line question: a woman wanted to know if the shooters were driving an Oldsmobile. It was from Eleanor Kretchner, age 69. Her nephew Ted supposedly lent out the car last night and it came back damaged. His mug shot shows Nazis tattoos.
Flynn, Gabriel and Sanchez all shove their way in, too. They pull up a photo of the house and head out to conduct surveillance. Hottie Detective Mendoza helps out.
They're outside when Raydor shows up. Brenda walks up to talk to Mrs. Kretchner, who tells them about the damage.
Brenda matches the busted tail light piece to the car. It fits. Sanchez pulls a casing out of the trunk. Brenda wants to leave the car behind. Raydor wants to take it. She thinks getting it later means an inevitable confrontation with fired up LAPD. Brenda tells her if their officers end up shooting the suspect, the case will be all hers.
Back outside the house, two white men with tattoos roll up on growling Harleys. They see Sanchez and Mendoza and refer to them as "wetbacks." The detectives respond by drawing their weapons and telling the neo Nazi thugs to get down. Stomper does, but Ted resists. Sanchez tackles him. When he still doesn't go down a truck full of officers pulls up and joins in. He continues to fight them off until Mendoza whacks him in the face and they pin him.
Back at the office Commander Taylor announces to the gathered officers that they got them. Everyone cheers.
They put the two suspects in the interview rooms, and Pope says they have no witnesses and can't put the suspects in the car, so they need a confession. But they have a problem. Ted has requested medical attention, which automatically triggers a use of force investigation by Raydor. And guess what, she wants to talk to him before Brenda, which will almost certain prompt them to ask for lawyers.
Brenda asks her not to follow her rules to the letter because without a confession, they have nothing. Raydor doesn't budge. Brenda asks her to hurry.
Raydor goes to talk to Ted, reading him his rights. Watching from the viewing room, Pope thinks they're screwed. But Brenda isn't panicking. She thinks it might work to their advantage.
After Raydor finishes reading Ted his rights, she asks if he's willing to talk. He replies with an "eat me." Raydor attempts to clarify if he means this in the affirmative or the negative. In response, he bashes his already bruised and swelling head against the table and then asks for a lawyer.
In the hallway, Raydor apologizes to Brenda for having to do that. Brenda ignores her and goes into Stomper and reads him his rights. He doesn't want to talk either. That's just fine with Brenda. She tells Raydor she's going to take them home and there, they'll confess.
Gabriel says a search warrant for the house is ready.
They put them in the back of a police car and Brenda tells them she's taking them home. Then she leans in and tells a confused Stomper not to forget what they talked about. She leaves them alone in the back.
Back at the house, Brenda climbs into a surveillance van, where Raydor questions her putting the entire case on the results of the search. Brenda notes that as Raydor correctly pointed out, the suspects had no reason to return for the car - but they did. So there must be something worthwhile in the house.
Tao is set to go with audio as he goes inside. There's video of the suspects in the back of the car. They start ragging on each other, saying it was a mistake to bring "the kid along." Stomper says if they look hard enough "they're gonna find it." Ted says they can look in the house all they want. Brenda directs the search to the back yard.
Ted asks Stomper what Brenda meant by the "remember what we talked about" line. Ted makes a "green thumb" comment and Brenda directs the search to flower boxes.
In the back of the car, the suspects watch, angry and worried.
The cops pick up the planter and find assault rifles.
Ted thinks Stomper rolled on him.
"And there's our confession," Brenda says. Raydor looks impressed in spite of herself.
Brenda gets out of the van and goes to the suspects in the back of the car, pointing out the camera. An angry Ted starts messing with his handcuffs as Brenda shuts the door and Tao tells her about the assault rifles and big ol' bag o' meth they found.
Alone next to him in the back of the cop car, Stomper worries as Ted slips his cuffs. Then Ted puts the chains around Stomper's neck and starts to choke him. Provenza and Brenda notice, calmly. They debate intervening.
Raydor watches for a moment in the van then gets out and tells Brenda to stop it. Brenda points out it doesn't involve officers, so it's not her concern.
Eventually, Sanchez opens the door and Tasers Ted. Brenda deems the use of force appropriate.
Later, back at headquarters, Captain Raydor stops Brenda, both are wearing their dress uniforms. Brenda points out that when officers are killed in the line of duty, she investigates. But when they fire back, Raydor does. She wonders if knowing they'll be investigated might stop officers from defending themselves. Brenda asks Raydor if she ever wonders what her principles cost. In fact, she does: $70 million, the cost in the Rampart case (when officers were found to be corrupt in almost every single way and, fun TV fact: inspired the gritty FX drama "The Shield"). Not to mention cases overturned and trust lost. "There has to be a better way," Brenda says. "Until then, you've got me," Raydor replies.
They're both going to the funeral. "But don't worry," Raydor says, "I've got my own car." She leaves.
Before they leave, Pope commends the team for catching the killers. Brenda says it's a privilege.
Everyone files out but Brenda and Provenza. She sees him standing contemplatively at a desk and notes it's just the six of them again. "For now," he says. (Oh no! Not forced retirement again?)
They leave for the funeral. The flags fly at half mast.
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