Original subtitles

This is the city, Los Angeles, California.

It sprawls over 467 square miles

and three million people call it home.

It's the biggest police beat in the world.

Yet it has fewer policemen per thousand population

than any major city in the United States.

On paper, one policeman must protect and serve

more than 600 citizens.

It's a big job, and a big responsibility.

Every police officer carries a gun.

Once a month, on the pistol range,

he has to prove he knows how to use it.

Someday, he may have to.

When that day comes, I go to work.

I carry a badge.

It was Wednesday, September 17.

It was cloudy in Los Angeles.

We were working the day watch out of Homicide.

The boss is Captain Hugh Brown.

My partner's Bill Gannon.

My name's Friday.

A liquor store owner had been shot and killed

while trying to resist a robbery.

For the last 18 hours,

Bill and I had been interviewing witnesses

and interrogating suspects.

A polygraph lie detector test

had cleared the last and only suspect we had.

It was 2 a.m. when we quit for the day.

It had been a long day

and another one would begin in about five hours.

The story you're about to see is true.

The names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Hard to believe I was that wrong.

I really figured we had the right guy.

Well, we'll hit it again tomorrow.

Yeah. Right where we began 18 hours ago.

One dead liquor store owner,

four conflicting witnesses, no suspects.

Well, we'll have one thing we don't have now. Won't we?

- What's that? - About four hours' sleep.

If we sleep fast.

2:35 a.m.

After I got home, I noticed I was out of cigarettes.

I knew there was a machine in an all-night launderette

two blocks from my apartment.

I walked over.

All right, fella, police officer!

Stand up and keep those hands where I can see them!

Complaint board, please.

This is Sergeant Friday, Homicide Division.

I've been involved in a shooting, 459.

I'm okay, but the suspect got away

in a 1964 Dodge convertible, dark blue with a black top.

Suspect is male, Caucasian, 23, 160,

blue zippered jacket.

He's armed and wounded. There's a woman with him.

Young blonde woman,

last seen driving west on Vermont.

No. I didn't get it.

Send a radio unit to 331 E. Vermont.

It's a launderette, would you please?

Right. Switch me up to DHQ.

Bob, Joe Friday, I'm at a launderette,

331 East Vermont.

I just shot a burglar.

He's wounded, but he got away.

Would you make the notifications and call Homicide

and get the shooting team over here to check it out?

Yeah. No. I'm all right.

Radio car is on the way. Thanks, Bob.

Under strict policy

established by the Los Angeles Police Department,

an officer is subject to investigation

every time he fires his service revolver

except on the firing range.

I was no different.

A special team of police officers

would have to investigate the shooting

and report directly to the Chief of Police.

A board of inquiry would also determine

if the shooting was within departmental policy.

2:52 a.m.

Hall and Vincent, 2A12.

- Friday, Homicide. - What's the story?

Man was slip wiring that coin changer.

He took a shot at me. I returned fire.

He ran out the back door. Male, cauc, 23 to 25.

Six feet, 160 pounds. Blond hair.

Blue zippered jacket, tan slacks, white shirt.

Car was parked out back.

1964 Dodge convertible, dark blue with a black top.

Young blonde girl with him. She was driving the car.

Right.

- You okay? - Yeah. I'm fine.

You better move on it. The guy I hit's bleeding pretty bad.

He's gonna need medical help.

Right. Want us to call the shooting team?

They're on the way.

Hey, either one of you got a cigarette?

Machine is out of order.

- Keep the pack. - Thanks.

3:07 a.m. The investigating team,

Lieutenants Pierce Brooks and Danny Bowser arrived.

- Friday? - Danny. Pierce.

You got here in a hurry.

Want to fill us in, Joe?

Right.

About 2:40, I came in here to buy a pack of cigarettes.

The suspect was working a slip wire on this coin changer.

I thought he dropped the wire.

I don't see it. Do you?

- No. - Well, we exchanged fire.

I hit him and he took off through that back door there.

Whoever you shot better see a doctor in a hurry.

Where were you during the shooting, Joe?

Right over there by those machines.

I identified myself. I told him to stand.

He came up shooting.

This is where you were, huh, right here?

That's right. He fired.

I drew and attempted to return fire.

He threw a waste can at me.

I fired back. I hit him.

He started to run.

I went around through there after him

and I bumped into some laundry carts.

He threw another waste can.

I attempted to fire once more.

There was a woman waiting for him by the door.

She got between him and me.

She's a blonde girl. I got a pretty good look at her.

She hustled him out the door.

I saw a car scratch off, a '64 Dodge convertible.

The woman was driving.

- Yeah. - Radio unit was here

a few minutes after I called in.

If you were here and he fired from over there,

there should be a slug in that wall somewhere.

What did you say you came in here for, Joe?

Cigarettes. The machine's out of order.

You live near here, don't you, Joe?

Yeah. Two blocks over.

How long a shift did you work?

Day watch.

Plus a little overtime.

Well, I checked in at 7:30 yesterday morning.

I clocked out at 2 a.m. this morning.

That's 18 and a half hours. You must be beat.

Nobody has a corner on long hours, Pierce.

Brooks, Friday.

Can't find a thing.

You sure this was his line of fire at you?

Positive. It must be there someplace.

I can't find a slug, not even a hole.

Take a look, Joe.

We'll get a team from SID to come out

and go over it with a fine-toothed comb.

Let's go downtown and get your statement

while it's fresh in your mind.

I'd like to find that slug now.

It's late, Joe. SID will turn it tomorrow.

It's here. It's got to be.

So will that wall, tomorrow.

3:32 a.m.

We returned to the police administration building.

Three radio units were checking the area.

So far, they had found no trace of the suspect

or the car he was driving.

Here's what we got, Joe.

We don't have any way to prove

that coin changer was tampered with.

No slip wire left behind.

Well, he must have taken it with him.

Unless the crime lab turns something,

there's no proof the suspect took a shot at you, Joe.

And we don't have a body.

Maybe he isn't hit as bad as you think.

You saw the blood on the floor.

Yeah, we saw it.

Less than 30 feet from where I shot him.

Now you know when a man's bleeding like that,

one thing's sure.

- Yeah. - There's gonna be a body.

- We agree with you. - All right.

Any red hot ideas where he might have gone to die?

Wednesday, September 17th, 9 a.m.

I arrived at the police administration building

to report for work.

It hadn't been much of a night.

- Morning. - Morning.

Had coffee with Danny and Pierce this morning.

You did?

I'm gonna have to start taking you home nights.

I guess.

This might help. Found the body an hour ago.

They're posting it now. Name's Arthur Ashton.

Girl with him, her name's Mary Ann Smith.

Pulled Ashton's mug.

That's him. That's the guy.

Petty larceny. Burglary.

Nothing heavy.

Bowser or Brooks in?

They're bringing in the Smith girl.

Oh, yeah.

Captain wants to see you.

Sit down, Joe.

Chief called a few minutes ago.

- Yes, sir. - Pending a board,

I've got to relieve you from field duty.

Yes, sir. I understand.

You've got some vacation time coming.

You want to take it now?

No, sir. I'd just as soon stay on the job.

Sure.

Good time to catch up on your paperwork.

Yes, sir.

Joe, I know you're concerned

about not turning in that slug this morning.

SID is out there now.

You know if it's in that wall, they'll dig it out.

There's no if, Captain.

That isn't what I meant and you know it.

I'm sorry.

I guess I got a spring someplace

and it's just wound up too tight.

You're tired and you're concerned.

I don't like to see you tired.

If you weren't concerned,

I wouldn't want you in my division.

Yes, sir.

In all the years I've been on the job,

I've only had to drop the hammer on a man twice.

Then you've been in front of a board of inquiry before.

You know all they want is the truth

and you're telling it.

Yes, sir. But the first time,

there were eyeball witnesses...

My partner, the other suspect.

What about this Smith girl?

She undoubtedly saw the shooting.

Let's get her statement.

Understand Brooks and Bowser

are on their way in with her now.

You know I like my job, Skipper.

I wouldn't want to lose it.

Nobody says you're going to, Friday.

Now, why don't you hop upstairs to SID.

Ballistics will want your gun

as soon as the coroner recovers the slug from Ashton.

Yes, sir.

You'll be close to the cafeteria.

Have some coffee and a smoke.

Find that spring and unwind it.

Yes, sir.

Excuse me, Captain.

Bowser and Brooks just got in with the Smith girl.

Yeah.

Claims she and Ashton were living in his car

back at the service station over on Rampart.

Says they didn't have any place else to stay.

Danny and Pierce shook the car down.

Found the slip wire he was trying to trip the coin changer with.

How about Ashton's gun? They find it?

No, Joe. They didn't.

That's him.

That's the crum that murdered Art!

I saw him! I saw him!

He did it! He did it!

He did it!

Wednesday, September 17th, 11:15a.m.

I was returning from SID

where I had taken my revolver for a comparison test

with a slug that would be removed

from Arthur Ashton's body.

Joe.

Got the Smith girl in there.

Did she tell you anything?

Nothing that will help. Keep screaming murder.

Says you deliberately shot Ashton.

- He didn't fire at you. - She's lying.

We'll stay with it, Joe.

- You see Brooks? - No.

Waiting for you inside. There's a problem, Joe.

Brooks will fill you in.

I better get back in there.

Right. Thanks, Dan.

We turned a gun. It could be Ashton's.

Bowser says you got a problem.

King-sized. Found a .38 6-inch revolver

at the bottom of a drum on Wasthill Island.

That tears it, doesn't it?

The oil drum was in back of the service station

where the Smith girl claims she and Ashton

are living in the car.

No prints? No powder residue?

Too much blood on Ashton's hands

for a paraffin test.

How about an empty casing in the cylinder?

Gun wasn't loaded, chum.

3:45p.m.

The board of inquiry was scheduled to convene at 4:00.

I took the elevator up to the fifth floor

to report to the Administrative Services Bureau.

I was instructed to report

to the office of Deputy Chief Robert Houghton.

Bowser and Brooks had filed their reports with the board earlier.

The board of inquiry

is made up of three ranking police officers.

The chairman, Deputy Chief Houghton,

had 25 years service in the department.

He was my first division commander.

Inspector John Powers, Detective Bureau,

a veteran of 26 years.

Deputy Chief Roger Murdoch, Traffic Bureau.

This board of inquiry is now in session.

This hearing will be informal.

Its sole purpose is to determine

whether the shooting under consideration

is or is not within department policy.

We want to know whether the use of force was necessary,

legal and justified under the circumstances.

Have members of the board

read the report of the investigating officers?

Are there any questions?

- Lieutenant Bowser. - Yes, sir.

I commend you and Brooks on the thoroughness of your report.

However, on two points, it seems to be at odds

with Sergeant Friday's statement.

Yes, sir.

Sergeant Friday states he returned fire.

Did you conduct a thorough search of the area

for the bullet he claims the deceased fired?

As indicated in our report, both Lieutenant Brooks and I,

as well as a three-man team from SID

examined the walls, and the floor

and the ceiling of the launderette.

We were unable to find any bullet holes or dispense slug.

How many cases involving officers returning fire

have you two investigated?

Offhand, I don't know, sir.

I guess in excess of 20.

In any of those cases, have you ever failed

to find proof that the officer was fired upon?

- No, sir. - Thank you.

Lieutenant Brooks, this girl acquainted with the suspect,

Mary Ann Smith, what can you tell us about her?

Claims she's in love with the deceased.

When the deceased was found,

she was holding him in her arms crying.

She said they had been living together for three months.

There was no record of marriage.

You said in your report that she's a runaway.

Yes, sir. She was in a foster home.

The situation was less than ideal.

She ran away in January.

The family didn't file a missing report till June.

- I see. Any record? - Nothing local.

Till two weeks ago, she was employed as a waitress.

She left the job?

Said she couldn't stand the smell of food.

She thinks she's pregnant.

Now the deceased, Arthur Ashton,

this is the complete record?

Yes, sir. Three arrests for petty larceny,

one for burglary. One conviction set and suspended.

Lieutenant Brooks, how long have you known Friday?

Why, we went through the academy together.

You know him well then.

I believe so.

When you arrived at the launderette, 3:07a.m.,

did Friday appear upset, tired, anything like that?

He looked like a man who had just shot somebody.

I'm sure nobody in this room enjoys pulling the trigger.

Well, we understand that.

But Friday had been working since 7:30 the previous morning.

- Did he look tired? - Yes, sir. He did.

Now upon your arrival, what did he say to you?

As we said in our written report,

Sergeant Friday told us he had given a description

of the suspect and the suspect's car

to the responding radio unit, 2A12.

He then reconstructed the incident in detail.

Lieutenant, I am sure there was

some exchange of conversation other than his report.

It's important for us to know Friday's physical

and mental condition at the time.

We know he'd been working for 18 hours

investigating the murder of a liquor store owner.

We know that the only suspect in that case

was cleared less than an hour

before Friday was involved in the shooting.

Yes, sir. That's correct.

Now did Friday say or do anything not directly connected

to the facts of the shooting?

No, sir, not to my recollection.

Anything else you care to add at this time?

No, sir. I believe the report covers it.

Thank you, Lieutenant. Officer Gannon.

Yes, sir.

You were working with Sergeant Friday Tuesday night,

September 16th, just prior to the shooting.

- Is that right? - Yes, sir. That's right.

How did he appear to you when you last saw him that night?

He seemed fine.

How long have you and Sergeant Friday

- worked as a team? - Five years.

You two in the habit of working such long hours?

When it becomes necessary, yes, sir.

How many accrued days do you and Friday have

on the books, Officer Gannon?

- You mean total? - Individually.

I have 87. I think Joe has 90 some-odd.

How long did you and Friday work the previous day?

That would be Monday the 15th.

We signed out a little past midnight.

How far past midnight?

2:30 a.m.

In the 48 hours prior to the shooting,

you and Sergeant Friday had about eight or 10 hours' sleep total.

That right?

Sometimes it's part of the job.

It's also part of the job to remain alert at all times.

A tired man can't always do that.

Joe was alert when he left me, sir.

And I'm sure he was alert in that launderette.

Well, one thing is certain. Isn't it?

Yes, sir.

Like the rest of us, you weren't there,

were you, Officer Gannon?

No, sir. I wasn't.

Thank you, Officer Gannon.

Sergeant Friday, I have the report here from SID

on the .38 caliber revolver found in the oil drum.

Because of the emersion,

there is no evidence indicating it had been fired.

There is no evidence the weapon was ever

in the possession of the deceased.

The sole witness, Mary Ann Smith,

has signed a statement in which she accuses you

of willfully murdering Arthur Ashton.

That's not true, sir.

I went into that launderette to buy some cigarettes.

I saw the suspect, Ashton, slip wiring that coin changer.

I identified myself and ordered him to stand.

He came up shooting.

Yes, that's all in the report here.

Joe, let me ask you something.

Yes, sir.

You were tired. You put in a couple of long days.

Is it just possible you thought Ashton had a gun?

He made a furtive movement,

and here's a man in the act of committing a felony.

You surprise him.

He makes a sudden move as if drawing a gun.

You take cover and fire, all in a split second,

all by instinct and training. Is that possible?

No, sir. That's not possible.

The suspect had a revolver and he fired at me.

I returned fire.

Sergeant Friday, is this a possibility?

The suspect had a gun as you report he did.

Could it have been loaded with blanks?

Thieves have been known to use empty weapons or blanks

to frighten victims.

They don't want to risk the death penalty.

Blank makes a big noise, the same as a live round.

Maybe that's why no slug from the suspect's gun

has been recovered. There wasn't one.

No, sir. If Ashton had fired a blank,

there would have been fragments of wadding

on the floor or on the wall.

No. He shot at me and it wasn't a blank.

Lieutenant Bowser, both you and Lieutenant Brooks

interrogated Mary Ann Smith.

Did you both concur in your findings?

Yes, sir.

You think she's giving you a straight story?

We're of the opinion it sounds rehearsed.

It sounds pat.

We played the tapes back three times

and she told us the story three times.

They don't differ in more than a single word here and there.

But you're not sure she's lying.

We can't prove it. No, sir.

We'd like to examine those tapes, lieutenant.

Yes, sir. Would you like me to set it up now?

No. The board would like to have them here tomorrow morning

at 9 a.m.

Yes, sir.

Let the record show that according to ballistics report 11109,

a .38 caliber slug was recovered from the body

of deceased one Arthur Ashton,

the bullet being fired from a Smith and Weston revolver,

serial 1755806, the aforementioned weapon

belonging to Sergeant Joe Friday,

Los Angeles Police Department.

This board of inquiry is in recess until 9 a.m. tomorrow morning.

Wednesday, September 17th, 5:03p.m.

It didn't look too good.

Joe.

Yeah.

For what it's worth, I want you to know something.

What's that?

I'm not saying the board doesn't,

but I want you to know I believe you.

So do I. Come on in a minute.

It isn't a matter of belief and I know you two know that.

I also know I'm about to tell you

a lot of other things you know.

Sit down.

Let me have your badge, Friday.

You were issued this when you first came on the job.

20 bucks' worth of brass and pot metal

and a two-dollar leather case.

You were told to give it a regular polish

or it would tarnish.

It's easy to keep the metal bright and clean.

But what about the men who carry it?

The department set up that board of inquiry,

we did ourselves.

No political pressures. No citizens groups.

Just us.

And it's been in business for 15 years.

I've faced it before. So have a lot of others.

Sometimes, the going's rough.

It has to be.

But it's the best way to get at the truth we know of.

We live in a free and open society.

That's why that board was set up.

I don't have to tell you we don't sweep things

under the rug here.

No whitewashing of anybody or anything.

That's why this hunk of metal means something

and why it always will.

It's not something we hide behind.

It's something we live up to.

Believe me, I know what you're going through, Joe.

Board rules against you,

it means a possible jury trial for manslaughter,

dismissal from the force. But I know this too.

You want this thing cleaned up with facts, not opinions.

And that's the way it's gonna be.

You men are professionals at your job.

And when you get involved,

you're judged first by professionals

just like yourselves,

men who aren't out to whitewash you,

men who aren't out to bury you.

I wouldn't want it any other way

and neither would you.

Because the alternative sickens me.

None of us ever want to see this

turned into a hunting license.

Brown.

Yeah. Right here.

Good. On the way now.

That was Bowser. Hop out to that launderette.

They've turned something.

5:45p.m.

Bill and I left the police administration building

and headed across town to the launderette.

When we got there, Lieutenants Pierce Brooks and Danny Bowser

were waiting for us.

Pierce, Danny.

Bowser and I refigured the line of travel

from the coin changer to this wall,

bearing in mind the general area of where you said

you were standing the night of the shooting.

Yeah.

We checked this entire wall for the 10th time.

We gave up.

Checked the ceiling again, figuring on a possible ricochet.

Yeah.

Nothing. Till Brooks noticed something.

It's one for the books, Joe.

Picture the line of travel and look underneath this shelf.

You make that pencil mark?

We didn't make it. Ashton did.

And a pencil didn't do it.

Here's the way it goes, Joe.

You had the geography right, almost to the inch.

Ashton fired at you from over there.

His slug just slid along underneath the shelf

making that mark, barely touched the wood.

Pierce and I both passed it up twice.

Wrote it off as a carpenter's mark.

Lead slug will make a mark like that.

The force of the slug raised the shelving material like this,

and look what's here. Take a good look, Joe.

It's been hiding a long time.

Nothing ever happens the easy way to you, does it?

Thanks, Danny, Pierce.

Right.

You ought to sleep a little better, tonight, huh?

Oh, I'm sure of it.

Go on home. We'll finish up here.

Here. Try and stay out of trouble, will you?

What's this?

A carton of cigarettes.

As a result of the finding of the bullet

from Arthur Ashton's gun,

the board held that Sergeant Joe Friday

had fired in the line of duty

and that the shooting was within departmental policy.

On September 23, a coroner's jury hearing the same case

also brought in a verdict of justifiable homicide.

Mary Ann Smith was again made a ward of juvenile court

and later placed in another foster home.