Original subtitles

(theme music playing)

Tag him?

Not for making an illegal right turn.

II

- Is that Chico? - Yeah.

- There's the buy. - Yeah.

- I'll take Perez. - Okay.

(tires squeal)

(tires screech)

You're making a big mistake, kid.

I don't think so, my friend.

Central one to headquarters.

Go ahead, central one.

Yeah, I got a 904 code three at 595 Shiplee.

DISPATCHER: Officer has one narcotic suspect in custody.

Partner is in foot pursuit of another, east on Carsey.

Hang a right.

(siren wails)

-(siren ceases) - STONE: Stop! Right there.

Aw, man!

You just cool it and turn around.

Hey, ma". I'm a jogger!

You on central one?

Yes, sir. Officer Bryce.

Hey, you Jimmy Vega's partner?

That's right. Okay, where is it?

I'm a jogger, man! I ain't, I'm not holding!

His name is Chico.

He's got a list as long as his arm.

You're gone, man.

You're gone.

A half kilo of street-grade heroin,

in my book, is possession.

The car didn't belong to Perez. It was a rented vehicle.

So what? He was the one driving it, wasn't he?

The car had been driven by 23 other people

in the last 30 days.

Any one of them could have hidden that stash.

But they didn't.

No, and neither did Perez, or so he says.

What does the D.A. say?

He said to let him go, so I did.

What about the other guy?

Same thing.

You didn't bring anything in with him, did you?

I'm telling you there was a buy.

Tell it to your lawyer when you get sued for false arrest.

He'll get hysterical.

Then he'll tell you to take out a second mortgage

so you can pay the judgment.

But I saw it!

Hey, Jimmy, Jimmy, easy, easy.

How long have you been on the force, Vega?

Five years.

Well, in all that time, didn't anyone get around to mentioning

to you that we have stringent search and seizure laws?

Yes, sir.

Then maybe you'll understand what I'm trying to tell you.

There was no violation of any law for which you stopped Perez.

No provable violation, therefore, no legal arrest.

Therefore, no legal search. Am I coming through to you?

Sure, but that doesn't change...

Now here's the snapper:

when you put the cuffs on Perez,

you violated his constitutional rights.

Constitutional rights? He deals narcotics!

No, he deals tacos. He's got half a dozen stands.

It's the only business anyone can prove he's in.

So if you want to nail Perez for narcotics,

you'd better find the stuff right in his pockets.

STONE: Look, Gerry's okay.

He can't try a case without evidence.

Look, if you had found where Chico had dumped that stash

or if Perez hadn't been driving a rented car,

everything would've been different.

Yeah, well, it'll be different next time

'cause I'm gonna nail that man.

Well, what's the problem?

Why are you making it such a cause?

He cripples people, Steven. He sells junk, remember?

You're gonna have to prove that.

And within the law.

(sighs) I know that.

Yeah, well, uh, we'll just write

some nice, polite traffic tickets tomorrow.

I'm going home. See you in the morning.

Yeah, me, too. Nice to see you again, Steve. Lieutenant.

Wait a minute. I'll walk you to your car.

- See you tomorrow. - See you tomorrow.

Too long, Jimmy, just too long.

Really?

Hey, you want to make it tonight?

Tonight? I got a lady tonight.

So bring her along.

I know a place that's gonna be a real happening.

- Where? - My mamacita's house.

- Yeah? -We're throwing her a birthday party.

She's 60 years old.

-60? -60.

Gotta be a biggie, huh?

For sure. She'd like to see you, too, I'm sure.

I'll be there.

Great. Any time after 8:00.

- Okay. See ya. - All right.

(mariachi music playing)

(song ends)

(Speaking Spanish)

You still play pretty good, Papa.

Thank you.

JIMMY: Mira, Mamé.

(gasps): How beautiful!

Who are they for?

The card says they're for the birthday girl.

Any girl here having a birthday besides my mom?

They must be for you.

Well, let's see who they are from, huh?

(phone rings)

Oh, how pretty.

"Happy birthday, Mama. Much love, Steve."

I didn't know what else to get you, Mama. Happy birthday.

Oh, thank you, Steve.

I love them. I love them. Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Jimmy, teléfono.

Ramon, help me find something to put this in, huh?

Hello? Who's this?

This is Chico.

Chico?

I want to talk to you, Jimmy, okay?

What about?

Perez. You want him bad, right?

What's the hustle, Chico?

(chuckles) Hey, hey, hey, compadre,

this is ma, Chino.

We go back a long time, man.

I mean, you can trust me.

You're a junkie, Chico.

I don't trust junkies.

What about Ernie Silveira, man?

He used to turn on, right?

And you used to trust him, right?

Man, we're no different.

Look, Perez has got the hook on me, I want to get out.

Is this straight?

This is straight.

Hey, if you want to hear what I have to say,

why don't you meet me at the Sausalito Ferry slip?

Maybe.

If you want Perez.

He's gonna be in the slammer for 20 to life.

You be there... in a half an hour.

Hey, Jimmy-

It's cool.

Yeah?

So what's up, Chico?

(grunting)

I've got a message from Perez.

Keep off his back.

(woman laughing)

(man speaking low, indistinctly)

WOMAN: And you got her off?

She didn't even have to go to jail?

MAN: Not one day.

WOMAN: Oh, you must be some kind of genius, honey.

Isn't he, Dorothy?

A real abogado.

Hey, hey.

You haven't had to spend any time behind bars

since I've been your lawyer, have you, baby?

Why would anyone want to send me to jail?

How could I possibly offend this righteous society?

Me? (chuckles)

Did I ever offend you, Roberto?

No. If you did...

You'd break my arm.

(phone rings)

Hello?

(Snaps fingers)

This is he.

(button clicks)

JIMMY (weakly): I'll get you, Perez.

I'm gonna nail you.

Who is this?

(grunting): I'm gonna break you.

Who is this?

Jimmy Vega, mister, and you hear me good.

One way or another...

you are finished.

Hello?

That dumb cop just threatened me, Counselor.

And it's all on the tape.

(Keller sighs)

Whatever happened to Jimmy?

Jimmy...

Cops...

Cops, they appear, someone blows a whistle...

(whistles) disappear.

(laughs) Any whistles at your place?

Definitely not.

(woman chuckles)

Come on.

DOROTHY: Hey.

Are you a COP?

Can I help you?

And you're a good friend of Jimmy Vega's?

Who are you?

Just tell him to freeze on Perez.

You got that?

Tell him to leave Perez alone...

or he's one dead Chicano.

(engine starts)

Morning, Steve.

How you doin', Mike?

Did you get the coroner's report

on that guy who went off the bridge?

No, no, not yet.

What is it-- you got something more interesting?

Looking over Jimmy Vega's files.

How come?

Just curious.

Curious? (chuckles)

Since when did you roll out of bed at 6:00 a.m.

for anything but to satisfy your stomach?

Since I started getting late night messages from a lady

telling me a friend of mine's gonna get killed

if he doesn't lay off a certain Mr. Perez.

Did you pass the word?

Yeah, I called Jimmy this morning.

He didn't take it too seriously, though.

Sounds kind of serious to me.

That's what I thought, so I was going through here,

trying to find out why they're so hot at each other.

- Did you find anything? - Nothing yet, nope.

Well, here's a pretty heavy narcotics bust.

Yeah, but that was over a year ago.

Didn't involve Perez.

How long have you known Vega?

About five years.

We went to the academy together.

Oh, yeah, yeah, I see that.

1969. Huh.

Yeah, you barely went through together.

Looks like he must have been the low man on the totem pole

with these marks.

How did he get through?

Hard work... a little help from his roommate.

You.

Yeah. Yeah.

But he held me, too.

He gave me such a background on the streets,

I couldn't get anywhere.

(Wry chuckle)

Dropped out of high school.

He's got a high IQ.

What was his problem?

He went in the Navy.

His father got sick,

and he had to make money for the family,

so he got his high school diploma there.

What took him to the academy?

The barrio.

You come from there, man, you want to clean things up.

It meant a lot for him to be a cop.

It meant a lot for his family, too.

So he presses, he keeps on pressing.

Maybe a little too hard, like he did yesterday.

It's possible.

You know, everybody's not cut out for this job.

Maybe you made a mistake by helping him.

Well, that could be, but that doesn't explain why

he and Perez are at each other's throats.

No, it doesn't.

So why don't you just ask one of them?

Hey, why don't you just drop this Perez thing?

It's personal.

(snickers)

Yeah, I can see that.

- He the one worked you over? - No.

Had something to do with that girl, didn't it?

What's her name, Dorothy?

I'll be around five minutes.

Don't get hurt.

(knocking)

Who... Who... Who is it?

JIMMY: Open up, Chico,

or I'm gonna put a hole where I think you're standing.

Hey...

Hey, Jimmy-

He made me do it.

I swear, man.

He put a gun in my eye, you know?

Oh!

(crying): Oh, my...

Hey, man...

I'm telling you, he made me do it.

He said he was gonna kill me.

Dorothy, too.

He said he was gonna hurt her.

(gasps)

He... he said he knew... he knew how you felt about her, man.

He said he didn't want to hurt her,

but he had to get through to you somehow.

(sighs)

I knew we were gonna work you over... but Dorothy, man...

How is Dorothy?

She's bad, man.

How bad?

Not as bad as Ernie, you know, but she's getting there.

A hundred a day.

But she's a good hustler, and...

Shut your mouth!

Sure, sure, Jimmy.

Sure.

Listen to me.

I could zap you anytime.

Yeah.

But that would only be one less junkie

and that's not really good enough.

É Comprende?

You want Perez.

Tha-That's right.

I want him, and you are going to give him to me.

Oh, man, I can't...

Listen.

We both come off the same streets.

You know and I know.

You could be walking along, the next thing about you,

you're in that cold room with a tag around your toe.

M-Maybe... we can talk about it.

Look, I, I appreciate your concern, but...

(chuckles)

...it's all over.

Perez is set up.

He's set up?

We're gonna bust him tonight.

(chuckling). We? I

What you mean "we," kemosabe, huh?

I mean Bryce and me for sure and you hopefully.

Now, wait a minute, what are you talking about?

I don't even know the guy.

I do.

This is really personal, isn't it?

Yeah, it's personal.

So how close to home?

Try knocking right next door.

(gulls squawking)

There was this friend of mine-- Ernie Silveira.

From the sandbox to the navy, me and Ernie--

like brothers.

When he got out, he did junk.

I didn't know a kid on the block who didn't,

but with Ernie it took.

Then he OD'd.

He OD'd.

He was my best friend.

Perez turned him on?

Turned him on, fed his habit...

even sold him the rotten junk that killed him.

But look, that's, that's that.

But I've got Perez now.

I've got him and now you got to help me.

Narcotics, Jim.

It's not my department.

(sighs)

Please.

Look, I want this one for myself.

I don't want to give it to Narco.

I want it for me,

for Ernie, for every kid in the barrio he's strung out.

I can do it, I know I can do it, but I need a little help.

Your kind of help.

It's got to be legal.

You get a warrant or you forget it.

We'll get one.

You know that pretty good horn player Tony Karo?

(Keller sighs)

Yeah.

Yeah, well, he can't even blow middle "C" anymore.

He's down to making deliveries--

mostly legit but junk on the side--

and he's delivering to Perez tonight.

(boat horn blows)

It's 8:30, right on the nose.

Let's go.

II

BRYCE: Freeze. Police.

All right, Karo, get your hands right over your head.

Wouldn't you know?

Now you read him his rights.

Let's go use that warrant.

(doorbell rings)

PEREZ: Who is it?

KELLER: Open up.

Just a minute!

(toilet flushing)

Hold it! Police!

Hold it!

Drop it, Perez.

Drop it!

Hey, man, I'm hurt!

Jimmy!

- Jimmy! - JIMMY: Steve.

Ow!

Jimmy!

JIMMY: I'm in here, Steve.

Get down, man.

You move and I'm gonna kill you.

(Jimmy grunting)

I'll get you some help.

- I think he hid the stash in here somewhere. -Okay.

(dialing phone)

(grunting)

This is Inspector Keller.

I want an ambulance right away at 1647 Ruxton Avenue.

That's right, 1647.

Jimmy, they're gonna be here soon.

I think he hid the stash in here.

We'll get it later.

No, I want you to get it now.

Jimmy.

Find the stash, please find the stash.

(clattering)

(panting)

Hey, Steve.

That's the, that's the package Karo brought him.

He shot first.

The man busted in and shot his gun.

You can't book me for that.

What about this?

Jimmy's going to be all right.

How is he?

Fifty-fifty.

How did you get in on this?

Jimmy got a tiP-

I didn't say Jimmy, I said you.

- He wanted help. - Help?

Maybe you should be in social work.

Oh, come on, Mike. It meant a lot to him.

Lying in there with only a fifty-fifty chance

of walking out, I hope it meant a lot to him,

because you could've been in there with him.

Maybe even worse.

I'm all right.

What about Perez?

We booked him for possession.

Finally.

No, not finally.

There's a wrinkle.

He says the stuff was planted.

No way.

I found that stuff myself.

Okay.

So you proved yourself a hero.

Now the only thing you have to do

is prove to the jury that you're an honest one.

Mr. Perez, this bag marked People's Exhibit Number One

contains four ounces of pure heroin.

You did see Inspector Keller find it in a drawer

in your kitchen, did you not?

Well, I saw him take it out of there, yes.

After he planted it.

Your Honor, I move to strike...

Either he planted it, or his friend Vega did.

Your Honor.

Did you see either of the officers

put the narcotics in the drawer, Mr. Perez?

No, but Vega has been hassling me for months.

I mean, he'd do anything to get something on me.

That's enough, Mr. Perez.

Motion granted.

The remark will be stricken from the record.

And I order the jury to disregard the witness's

last statement alleging illegal planting of evidence.

Thank you, Your Honor.

I have no further questions.

Any redirect, Mr. Howard?

Mr. Perez, uh, have you ever been

arrested by Officer Vega before?

Yes, sir.

On what charge?

Same as this; possession of narcotics.

And what was the result of that charge?

The D.A. threw it out because he knew it was a trumped-up charge.

Your Honor, I object. This witness...

The witness is stating the facts, Your Honor.

And the one fact that seems to stick out is that the defendant

is being framed by an officer of the law

who thinks he can avoid a lawsuit for false arrest.

Mr. Howard, I take it you have some evidence

to support your theory of police harassment?

I do, Your Honor.

Proceed.

Mr. Perez, have you ever received

a private phone call from Officer Vega?

Yes, sir, in my home.

I kept a tape, in case he decided to keep hassling me.

Is this the machine and the tape that was used?

Yes, it is.

Your Honor, I'd like to ask that any tape recording

of a private conversation counsel intends to introduce

should be properly verified for accuracy.

If counsel wishes to have me sworn in,

I can attest to its authenticity, Your Honor.

I happened to be in the same room with the defendant

at the time the recording was made.

A threat like that, and 24 hours later,

he breaks into the guy's home with a gun?

We've got to consider the possibility

that Vega did plant the heroin.

Gerry, I was right there, and I'm telling you he didn't.

Besides that, that was pure smack, right?

Where's he gonna get that kind of stuff?

I don't know; he bought it, stole it, whatever.

Oh, Gerry, come on.

I'm not saying he did,

I'm saying it's a possibility.

And it's also a possibility, no matter how good a friend he is,

you're gonna wish you never knew Vega

after Howard gets through with you.

Now, what's that supposed to mean?

He's already built up a case against Vega.

Now he'll start working on you.

Just who's on trial here, me or Perez?

You are.

Maybe even the whole force.

HOWARD: Inspector Keller, the annals of the police force

of every major city are replete with stories of officers

who have laid down their lives for brother officers.

But you know about that, don't you?

Yes, I do, yeah.

Would you do that?

Would you lay down your life for a brother officer?

Well, I don't think anybody can answer that kind of question.

Uh, well, let's take a specific officer now.

James Vega.

How long have you known him?

About five years, I guess.

You guess?

You went through the police academy together, didn't you?

That's right.

You roomed together, you studied together,

you graduated from the same class.

You were even sworn in on the same day.

- Yes. -And you've remained close friends.

Fairly close, yeah.

Now, if the circumstances were such

that he were in trouble,

how far would you go to save him?

I mean, uh, would you, would you, would you die for him?

I might.

All right, let's take something far less dangerous.

Would you lie for him?

Your Honor.

That's all right.

I'll answer the question.

Under these circumstances,

I would not lie for Officer Vega nor for anybody else.

Now, the truth is, I found the heroin in Mr. Perez's home

less than two minutes after it was delivered.

MAN: Yeah.

Here it is: Officer Vega.

Narcotics arrest on the 12th.

And he signed out the heroin again on the 16th.

What for?

Says to be used as evidence at the pre-trial hearing.

Signed it back in the next day.

Do you have the heroin still on file?

Sure. The case hasn't been closed yet.

Eric, will you do me a favor, please?

Will you analyze that stuff for me right away?

Sure.

Thanks.

Inspector, when you left Officer Vega alone

to call for an ambulance,

how long were you out of the kitchen?

Less than a minute.

Time enough for Officer Vega to open a drawer

and drop the heroin inside.

Officer Vega was lying on the floor, seriously wounded.

You're still saying he didn't do it?

I do not think he did, no.

And so we have your word for that.

We also have your word and the word of Officer Vega,

through his deposition,

that you and he were alone in the kitchen, don't we?

While Mr. Perez was in the living room!

Look, I did not plant the evidence.

What reason do I have?

The very reason that took you to Mr. Perez's house:

to make an arrest and to make it stick.

No.

The ends justify the means, don't they?

You and your friend wanted Mr. Perez arrested,

so you provided the means.

It's about 50% pure, Mike.

The rest is milk sugar.

Then it's been cut.

Yeah.

It's funny, this stuff is marked at 99%.

That's bad news for somebody.

Want me to report it?

No, no, I'll do that.

Thanks a lot, Eric.

Oh, it's understandable certainly.

The frustration builds when an officer of the law

sees a defendant he think guilty walk free.

So what does he do?

He shades his testimony.

Out of a sense of duty.

After all, he says to himself, if the defendant can

lie his way home, I can lie a little,

to keep him off the streets, for the good of the people.

Now, I grant you,

not all policemen lie on the witness stand.

Perhaps it's even rare.

But some do.

And perhaps we should even forgive

some of them their weaknesses.

After all the civil rights cases, the riots,

the antiwar demonstrations they were ordered to control,

some of them were bound to be confused,

because the law seemed to be in conflict

with the will of the people.

But here, we're not involved with

conflicting social issues.

Here, we're involved with only one thing:

credibility.

Is the defendant lying...

or are the two officers lying?

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,

I submit to you that the two officers have lied.

Now, which of them have planted the heroin,

I haven't the faintest idea.

But one of them committed a crime,

and the other, his friend, covered up that crime.

And when an officer of the law breaks the law,

he breeds contempt for the law,

and can only deserve our contempt.

Mr. O'Brien, will you need more than 20 minutes

for your final argument?

In light of counsel's charges, Your Honor, I'm afraid I will.

Very well.

Court is recessed until 3:00.

(gavel bangs)

- Hey, Howard. - Wait a minute.

Howard!

The man may be right.

What do you mean, "right"?

He's got a right to defend his client,

but he's also got a responsibility to the facts.

So do we.

What are you talking about?

Now, if I was positive, I'd walk right into that courtroom

and tell Gerry to move for a dismissal.

What?

Come here.

Last October, Jimmy made a big narco bust, didn't he?

- Yeah. - Well, I just checked it out.

It was eight ounces of pure heroin.

And just a month ago,

he signed out for it for a pre-trial hearing.

I just had it analyzed, just this minute.

It was cut fifty-fifty with milk sugar.

That leaves four ounces of pure H missing.

That's exactly how much I found in the drawer.

- Steve? - Yeah.

I just came from the hospital; Jimmy would like to see you.

Did Jimmy plant that stuff on Perez?

- What? - You heard me.

I don't know.

But I do know something else: he's dying.

So, did we nail Perez?

The, uh, jury's still out.

But it's-it's looking good, it's looking pretty good.

(chuckles)

You're a lousy liar.

Lousy cop, too, from what I hear.

Who told you?

O'Brien.

I made him promise to call me.

I told him the truth, Steven.

And I...

(sighs)

He said he'd make things... clear for you.

Hey, I'm okay.

I'm all right.

Damn.

I'm sorry, you know'?

I know you are.

You had reason, Jimmy, you did.

Not to hurt you.

Want me to get the doctor?

No.

Just... open... the curtain.

Yeah.

(Jimmy groans softly)

I...

I was, uh, wondering

just what it was with me.

I never could seem to cut it somehow.

And I tried.

I really tried...

I know you did, Jimmy.

I know you did.

You know, it's like, uh...

I was talking to Mike the other day,

and he said not everybody's cut out to be a cop and...

just like not everybody's cut out to be a doctor

or a lawyer... farmer or whatever.

Lever tell you what I, uh,

what I thought I was gonna be doing?

Archaeology.

Can you dig that?

I saw myself out in the desert,

finding all these old ruins...

My name in a history book.

Jimmy?

Jim?

KELLER: Just wonder if it'll ever go away.

STONE: What?

KELLER: The feeling Jimmy would still be alive

if I hadn't helped push him through the academy.

You didn't kill him, Steve. Perez did.

He set out to burn him and that's just what he did.

How do you know that?

That girl Jimmy was so hung up on...

she called me the night before.

Told me to tell him that he was dead

if he didn't back off Perez.

- Well, you got the same call. - Yeah.

And what was that girl's name?

Dorothy. Dorothy Silveira.

Silveira?

That was name of his buddy, Ernie Silveira.

We had something going,

Jim and me,

when my brother was still alive.

You never met my brother, did you?

No.

He OD'd.

Dorothy,

Jimmy was trying to put away the man that he blamed

for killing your brother.

Now, do you want to help me finish that job?

Perez?

That's right.

Man, you scare me.

Well, you know, I think that your whole life must scare you.

Sitting there doing tricks

to get a fix in your arm.

How many times you gotten beaten up?

How many times Perez got you

screaming on the floor for a fix?

And won't give you one until you take care

of one of his friends with their kinky hang-ups?

Now, you want to tell me that doesn't scare you?

Hell, who gives a damn?

Jimmy did.

Another pop'?

It's getting to be some kind of monkey, baby.

A hundred and half habit a day.

I know you're gonna be nice to me.

You know how I know?

'Cause I'm gonna lay something on you,

something good.

Yeah, what?

This trick I had earlier, he's a big spender...

and a big buyer.

Of what?

China White, Roberto, a lot of it.

How come there's a big narcotics buyer in town?

I don't get a rumble and you do?

He's from Mexico. He usually doesn't stop off here.

Then why did he?

He runs junk from Mexico to Canada.

And his arrangements down south dropped out.

He absolutely has to make a delivery in Vancouver tomorrow.

I told him you just might be the man to see.

How big is he talking?

He mentioned a half million.

How does he know you?

I guess I'm getting famous.

One big spender to another.

(laughs)

Can you get in touch with him?

His name's Ybarra and I've got his number right here.

(phone ringing)

That's it. That's the private line.

Digame.

PEREZ: Es e! Sefior Perez.

Ah, sf. Ybarra.

Entiendo que quieres comprar algo.

Lots of backup, Lieutenant, right?

I'm a choir member, a very valuable fella.

Y, uh, Rodriguez?

(Ybarra speaking Spanish over radio)

(laughs)

He's gonna speak slowly so that I can translate.

He gets schpilkas because I speak pure Castilian.

Fuera def carro.

Pues, ahora podemos negociar, amigo.

(conversing in Spanish)

He's got company.

How many?

He didn't say.

Bryce, can you see how many?

I count...

three.

(Speaking Spanish)

(Snaps fingers)

(conversing in Spanish)

(speaks Spanish)

Six half-kilos of smack, 80%.

Let me know when it goes down.

He's testing it now.

GSatisfecho?

Si. Esté bien.

He's made a deal.

Everybody hit it. Here we go.

(Speaking Spanish)

(tires squealing)

- KELLER: Hold it! - STONE: Police! Freeze!

STONE: Hold it! Get your hands up!

KELLER: Hold it right there!

Hold it!

STONE: Get on the ground. On the ground!

- Perez, hold it! -(gunshot)

(gunshot)

Perez.

Cops.

Thank you. Thank you very much.

Of course.

Steven.

Come and see us.

LWill.

(door closes)

I want to thank you.

What for?

For keeping the lid on.

Well, like you said, he tried.

As far as I know that's no crime.