All language subtitles for Dragnet S02E02 The Shooting Board.DVDRip.NonHI.cc.en

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.