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Police!

[GUNSHOT]

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[GUNSHOTS]

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Mom.

Mom.

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Did you see him?

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It's a kid.

There was a guy.

He was up here.

There's somebody up here.

He took a couple of shots at me.

He's up here.

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How's the kid?

He's dead.

Never ends, does it?

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Strike up the band, Inspector.

Nicola approaching.

Deal.

Come on.

Take it inside.

We sent a car for the mother.

She works in a coffee shop uptown.

This guy came up from over there, and I saw him.

I yelled police, but he let go of his shot.

Now, I don't know where this kid came from.

Suddenly, he was there.

I never saw him.

I tried to hold back, but it was too late.

He just-- he got in the way.

How many times did you fire?

Just once.

And the man?

Two times, once after I hollered police, and then after I shot.

My partner was coming up the fire escape.

He heard.

What did you hear?

Three shots, like you said.

What did you see when you got up here?

The boy was lying there-- What do we got?

Well, Daly's story checks out.

A woman on the first floor told him

the man who knifed the stiff downstairs ran up here.

His gun?

One shot fired.

Mind if I listen in?

Let's establish the priorities, OK?

Now, Daly said he fired at him twice.

Go help Forensic find the slugs.

Then you go find Stavros and see if this guy dumped his weapon somewhere.

OK, am I anticipating right, Inspector?

Theo, every civil rights group in the city is going to be in on this one.

You're going to get a lot of heat.

Get your facts down fast.

Tell me about it.

I'm only telling you what the chief's going to be telling me.

And he's going to be asking, too, why I don't handle this investigation personally.

You want this case, Runkle?

It's all yours.

The whole chief of detectives' office could have it right now.

Uh-uh.

Not when it's one of your boys.

An inexperienced steal whom you borrowed from patrol?

You have to find out what happened, don't you, Theo?

You're a man of great pride.

It's my neck.

Ear to ear.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[crying].

[music]

Yeah.

Well, what kind of statement?

It's a tragedy.

The cop was trying to do his job.

Hey, you want to go after somebody?

How about the punk who started the trouble in the first place?

Well, there's your responsibility right there.

Sure, I'll let you know the first thing.

Clearly, those reporters are going to hang him in the morning.

Well, this will quiet them.

We found the gun in an air shaft.

Forensic found two expended slugs, and they're all up in ballistics now.

Another Saturday night special.

Small favors accepted.

How about the knife?

No show.

A knife in a hallway and a gun on a roof.

What have we got on the victim?

Name's Conway.

He's lived there a couple of months.

No one ever really saw him.

We have a yellow sheet on him, a couple of arrests

for pickpocketing, and a couple for policy running.

All right, check it, pass.

Why don't you check on the whole schmier for me, OK?

We find out who stuck him.

We found the guy on the roof.

We've solved the murder, and we also cleared Daly.

Would you do that for me, Crocker?

I will sincerely try, sir.

Thank you very much.

Captain Nolan.

Captain McNeil, nice to see you.

What's he so happy about?

I don't know.

Daly's story.

Check him out.

Well, as of two hours ago, all we had was that a cop shot a kid.

What's changed?

A couple of more hours, we'll put it all together.

Well, I admire your confidence, Kojak, but what do we do in the meantime?

Our men are targets out there all over the city right now.

Every crackpot, everyone who thinks he has

a gripe is going to try and even the score.

Look, Captain, I can't help what happened up on that roof, right?

And what do we do, offer Daly up as a scapegoat?

What good is that going to do?

I want to protect our men, but we have to give people some answers.

I am responsible for what Daly did, just as you are.

All right, Captain.

Why don't you call a town meeting, huh?

And give them a great big news flash.

Tell them it's a cruel, violent world.

Tell them that people do naughty things to one another.

Tell them cops carry guns, the system stinks.

But who's got one that's better, huh?

All we can do is give them the truth.

You certain he is innocent?

You better be damn sure of your evidence.

There's not going to be any cover-up.

I need a statement from Daly and Nemo.

They're outside right now, talking to the PBA representative.

I'm sure they'd appreciate a lecture right now on morality.

Where are you going? The DA's on his way over.

Do me a favor, Captain.

Would you have him give a speech on a balcony until I come back?

You don't have to make a statement to the Captain here if you don't want to.

I got nothing to hide.

It might be in your best interest to remain silent.

I'll tell him just what happened, just like I told Lieutenant Kojak.

Go on, Captain. What do you want to know?

From the beginning, I want to hear your

story from the time you heard the radio call.

Sure, I'll tell you everything.

[radio chatter].

[radio chatter].

[street sounds].

Mrs. Stornick, I just wanted you to know that we all share in your sorrow.

And the young officer would like you to know that-- Know what? That he's a murderer?

No. It was a blind, tragic accident.

I know it's not going to help now, but I want you to believe that.

I gave them American names.

My father wanted it that way.

He came here to give us a good life.

You tell your officer that.

We're deeply sorry.

He killed my brother!

Now, he has a badge, so nothing's going to happen to him.

It was a kid.

You don't shoot a kid.

No, not deliberately.

Look, I just wanted you to know what it meant to us.

Yeah? What does it mean?

That he's not excused just because he's a cop,

that we are investigating every minute, every inch.

You arrest him for murder. Will you do that?

All I can promise you is the truth, whatever it is.

(sniffles)

You think I can trust you anymore?

Six months on Rikers, but you couldn't wait.

You're lucky I didn't give it to you, too.

I got all my clothes back there. I gotta get them.

I'll give you a better idea.

Why don't you just walk over to Station House and tell them who you are?

Save the trouble of driving you over.

If the rest of you was as empty as your head... How am I gonna get my clothes?

Soon as this new connection of mine comes through, I'll get your closet full.

But I like you better this way.

(knocking).

Who is it?

You asked for the paper, pal. It just came in.

All right.

It's in there?

- Well, that lying no-good... - Who's lying?

That cop killed a kid up on the roof.

What kid? You didn't tell me anything about a kid.

How do I know what kid?

They're blaming me, saying I was taking shots at that cop.

I wasn't even out there. I didn't shoot at nobody.

(upbeat jazz music)

It was a roof on this apartment that patrolman

Rick Daly claims to have seen the fugitive.

And it was there that Arthur Strolnik, age 10, was fatally shot...

in a tragic and confused moment.

This is Inspector Rocco Nicola from the Office of Chief of Detectives.

What action is the police department taking on this case?

The same as we take in any homicide investigation.

In this case, the grand jury will have to

decide whether the shooting was justifiable.

Detectives are assembling the facts.

It'll be up to the grand jury to make the final decision.

Can you tell us what you've found so far?

We have no reason to question the officer's story.

There was an armed, escaping suspect.

An eyewitness said he ran up to the roof.

The officer followed.

And as you said, it was just a tragedy, a terrible mistake.

Thank you, Inspector.

Yes, the shot that killed young Arthur Strolnik took less than a second.

But his echoes will not soon die away.

From West 24th Street, this is Pat Lennon.

Pretty good job of communications, Inspector.

You should have communicated with me at the same time.

I got a terrible habit. I like to know what's going on.

Nolan set it up.

Whatever the grand jury does, we don't want people thinking it was a fix.

What happens when Taylor gets off? Anybody gonna believe it?

- All you gotta do is get the proof. - Yeah, sure.

Every time I look around, there's more and more brass getting into the act.

What's the game? Political football?

I'm Lieutenant Kojak. I'm in charge of this case.

- Could I be of any assistance? - I'm Casey, District Attorney's Office.

- You know Captain Nolan, I do. - Yeah, we're old friends.

The inspectors brought us up today. When do we get the final ballistics report?

- It's way now. - And your report, Lieutenant?

We tie together a couple of odds and ends, and

I promise you the whole ball of wax is yours.

Mr. Kandan, Daly and Nemo, I'd like to talk with them again about their statements.

They're down at the precinct waiting for you. Captain McNeil's office.

All right, come on. I'll take you down there.

That's all right, Kojak.

Let the inspector take him. You and I, we got some business to clear up.

Excuse me, sir. We're taking up a collection for the Strolnik family.

Would you like to contribute a little something?

Of course.

- Captain? - Oh, yeah, sure. Here.

Give yourself a buddy got for the money. I'll meet you down at the Conway apartment.

- Okay, Lieutenant. - Captain, you wanted to talk business?

Yeah, Kojak, it stinks. The whole mess. Daly talks like he's been programmed.

All the right answers. Who's coaching him?

You talking to somebody I don't see? A shyster lawyer, maybe?

You wouldn't be talking to me like that, would you, Captain?

I was under the delusion that we're both on the same side.

You're trying to get rid of a bad cop.

My side is the same thing with only one difference.

I want evidence.

I've got evidence. Let's get off the street.

Daly, while off-duty in the bar, drew his gun and

threatened the man with whom he'd been arguing.

The subject was reprimanded, but due to his fine record

at the academy and his superior's recommendation,

the reprimand was not made a part of his official record.

Now, what does that tell you about him?

Look, this happened before he came to me. He was stupid.

What's that got to do with what's happening now?

The man too quick on the trigger.

All right.

Departmental regulations. Police officers should fire

their weapons only under two conditions and no other.

One, to protect the life of a person imminently

threatened by the use of deadly force, and two, to defend themselves against the

threat of deadly force directed against them.

- The captain, Daly, was fired upon. - You only have his word.

- And his partners here had three shots. - But he didn't see them.

It wouldn't be the first time a partner lied to protect his buddy.

Well, I believe him.

Now, how about the second gun? You found the second gun, but not the knife.

Now, why did he use a knife on Conway and use a gun against Daly?

All right, against Conway, it was hand-to-hand battle.

But against an experienced police officer, what would you use?

Why were you fighting so hard? Because he was on detail to you?

Maybe I got an affliction for the truth. Diogenes. He was a Greek, remember?

Come on, Nolan. You're stacking a jury. You're playing to the balcony.

You better have proof, because I don't.

Well, there's been public pressure, I'll admit. You read the papers.

I'm telling you, whichever one of us is right,

we better be damn sure of what we're doing.

I'm by that, if you will.

So will the district attorney. It's his play.

Weir is the one man who can tell us what really happened.

- We need that witness, Kojak. - I'll find him.

I know we tossed it. We tossed it again. It could hurt.

- Well, maybe Conway was a transvestite. - Or maybe he had a girlfriend.

Well, somebody liked ladies' clothes.

Look, Stavros, you gotta be a little more respectful for the dead.

Give Conway the benefit of the doubt. Not bad. A little tight, maybe.

Whoever she is, she left in a hurry because that coat cost somebody a few clams.

I'll tell you what we do. We stake out the joint, and if she

shows up, we nail her and ask her to cost her the merchandise.

Lieutenant, checked up on Conway's girlfriend. First name is Carol.

- So far, so good. What's her last name? - I didn't get the last name.

Oh, not so good. All right, tell me something, Crocker.

Conway gets killed, his girlfriend disappears,

she leaves behind all her unmentionables and

one big mentionable, so I ask you, what is it?

Another case of "to the victor belongs the spoils"

or we got some kid running around town scared?

Oh, uh, we're taking up a collection for the Stronick family.

Beautiful. How'd you make out with Nolan, Lieutenant?

What do you mean, how'd I make out with Nolan?

Well, that shoe fly's out to get Dale. He was

nosing around the squadron. You set him straight?

Yeah. I set him straight, Crocker.

I set you straight, Crocker, and let me set you straight. I'm in no contest with Nolan.

And I'm not holding Daley's hand, either. You

know something, Crocker? I'm an evangelist.

All I want to do is bring truth to all my brothers and to all my sisters.

Hallelujah, baby.

Suppose the grand jury indicts me.

Come on, did you do it? Did you shoot that kid purposely?

Sure asked me. Go on. Everybody else has.

The DA, the borough commander, captain from the commissioner's office.

Here, look at this.

Fan mail. Pig, murderer, assassin.

And those are the polite ones.

Why did we take that call? And why didn't we just sit there, wait out the night?

That's the way you are, Rick.

Why do you think you did so well at the academy?

You're a police freak, man. Born to it. You're giving them money's worth.

What was that kid doing up there so late?

I did your police. But he moved. It was a shadow.

What do you mean you saw a shadow? You told everyone you saw a man.

I was a man. I told you. He fired at me, one shot.

Then I cut loose and he ran away shooting again.

You better get it straight. That grand jury only listens one way.

You tell them you saw a shadow, then you tell them you're changing your story.

No, no. It's just like I said. I just got all confused, okay?

I don't know what I'm doing anymore.

But you were there. You know what happened.

I'm dependent on you, Sam.

Sure, Rick. Just take it easy.

[Glass Clinks]

Oh, Detective Buschinski. What happened?

Bronx run out of pickled herring?

I think maybe I found something in the barrel for you.

Look familiar?

What are you doing? Peddling Saturday night specials?

This thing looked like it blew up in your hand.

You recognize it?

Relatives. Twins.

Mine was the one he used on Daly.

No, we're getting somewhere.

Where? About four months ago, some guy went down south

and bought about a hundred of those from a legitimate dealer.

Most of them have been shown up in the Bronx.

Take the subway. You got them down here.

Yeah. Any leads on your dealer?

Not yet, but it's heating up.

All right, fine.

Appear in front of the grand jury tomorrow.

I'll take this guy any time I can get him.

Hey, we close out on a murder.

Daly cleared with the department, and you... you get yourself the handsome reward.

A nice corned beef sandwich you bring to Fred.

Join us. Come.

[Phone Rings]

Whoever it is, ask them to come over.

[Sighs] Yeah.

Hey, what's happening? I've been waiting, man.

Yeah, now I hear you.

Yeah, you're real fine.

No, no sweat. I'll be there.

Right.

I told you it was a waste of time getting them clothes.

The only thing you're gonna need in Florida is a bikini.

Where are we gonna get the money?

Same place I always get it.

We're gonna live ourselves a real life.

[Somber Music]

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When are they voting?

They already have.

Well, you're off the hook, officer.

The grand jury decided it was justifiable homicide.

The police investigation failed to find

evidence that you deliberately shot that boy.

You were acting in defense of your life.

They believe me.

And Lieutenant Kojak.

Of course, I must tell you that you could still be

indicted if evidence to the contrary does show up.

But under the circumstances, I don't think you have anything to worry about.

They had no choice. The evidence was all his way.

Yeah, but were they right?

Lieutenant.

I just want to thank you. I know you worked very hard to clear me.

It's nice of you to say so.

Where are you going now?

To the nearest bar.

Can I make a suggestion?

Yeah.

Go see Mrs. Stronig. In case you forgot. She's still in mourning.

[Somber Music]

[Somber Music]

[Somber Music].

[Somber Music]

[Phone Ringing]

Kojak.

Oh, yeah, Buczynski. I got a message for you from Schwartz to Delhi. Yeah.

He said he never saw a guy who can put it away like

you can. He wants to get you transferred down here.

[Chuckles].

Yeah?

What's the address?

Right.

Crocker.

Crocker!

Lieutenant, you got a minute? I told Delhi it'd be okay.

It'll just take a second.

All right, go ahead. Take.

Well, sir, it's about my new assignment. They have me

down at Borough Headquarters on a desk job. Limited duty.

Captain Nolan's orders.

Until he makes his final recommendation, you and your gun are on the shelf.

But that's not fair. The grand jury cleared me. Why can't I go back to your squad?

I know it's rough, but you gotta live with it.

Well, what else does Captain Nolan want?

Captain Nolan is a detective.

He likes to tie the knots, close the loopholes.

He wants witnesses, which we may be able to get him, incidentally.

Buczynski called. He found the gun dealer.

From him, we'll find out who he sold it to, and then we'll find out who used it on you.

Okay? Let's go.

Hey, come on, man. Be cool. You're in the clear now. We're good.

Relax.

[♪♪♪]

I wouldn't take something like this in. You think I want to lose my license?

Mrs. Desmond, has anyone even remotely suggested that you're a shady lady?

Where's he from?

Downtown.

Very heavy.

You see, there's this fellow, and he told a story.

He said that he went back home to the old plantation,

and he came back with a handful of these guns.

This fellow's a marketing expert into armaments and things like that.

And he tells Detective Buczynski that one of those guns

was bought right here in your charming little boutique.

I don't sell guns.

Of course you don't, and this daft little individual knew that.

So, he decides to fool you.

He took one of these guns,

and he put it in the pocket of a very expensive camel hair coat.

And he hucks the coat.

See the ingenuity?

He took advantage of your trusting nature.

Camel hair coat.

Precisely.

Now, if we'd like the name of the individual who

hucks the coat, then if you could give us that name.

Where are they going?

Well, they're what you call looking for hot merchandise.

But, of course, that expression is foreign to you.

Am I right, Mrs. Desmond?

Let's take her in.

Detective Buczynski.

Please forgive us.

You know his lack of charity.

What is the bad news, Detective Crocker?

Oh, I think that we've misjudged Mrs. Desmond.

Poor sooth.

I think she's a fence.

The hell I am. Ask Buczynski.

Flossie, we sweep this place.

You're in it up to your ears.

Now, wait a minute.

Why are we arguing?

I mean, we can clear all this up by your naming the individual who bought the coat.

I never took in a coat.

Sure you did, you see.

The one that you didn't know had the gun in the pocket, right?

Right?

Oh.

Oh, that coat.

The one I didn't know had a gun in the pocket.

Yeah, I remember.

He took advantage of me.

Flossie, here.

Sure, here it is.

Frank Lucas.

No address.

[Chuckles].

Lieutenant Kojak.

Relief. What relief?

You stay there until somebody shows up.

Look, Starver, I'm trying to solve a murder.

Oh.

All right, I'll have Rizzo water your plants.

Now, stay there.

Crocker?

Thank you very much.

Crocker, get in here.

What's doing, Bobby?

What?

I'm dead break. I'm running down the gun. The guy's dead.

I just talked with Frank Lucas' wife.

Make that widow. Mr. Lucas isn't with us anymore.

He hit a wall on the Cross Bronx Expressway.

Hey, Lieutenant, up till now, I haven't been able to enjoy all this quiet.

That grand jury threw all the reporters away.

No headquarters brass hanging around.

This is beautiful over here.

Wonderful. I'm glad the working conditions have soundproofed for you.

Now that you're perfectly rested, I want you to run down her records.

All right. What am I looking for?

I found Mr. Lucas, who was an active crook.

Small time, but very active.

Now, this list of arresting officers is incomplete.

It only has the officers of record.

I want all the names on every collar.

And there's going to be quite a few of them.

Uh, Lieutenant, I don't think I follow you.

Oh, well, his gun wasn't on when he was killed.

So who can we trust to tell us who his buddies were?

Perhaps the officers who made the arrest, right?

Right.

[SIGHS]

Al, can I have the phone, please?

[SIGHS].

Damn it.

Yeah, Lieutenant, this is Crocker. I think I found what you want.

Drug bust back in October. The second man in the radio car was Daly.

Mm-hmm. Now, give me more. Disposition the case.

Well, get it and do it now.

Right.

Thanks, Al.

[♪♪♪]

Sam, let's take a walk.

Sure.

How's it going?

Okay.

You miss your buddy?

I'd like to see him back on the street.

I see.

You're figuring now you got a raw deal, right?

He's a good cop.

Wake Island.

Brian Dunlevy. Yeah, he's one of my favorites.

The island. You ever see that picture?

Tell me this. Yeah.

You know, if you two ever get together again, uh... I mean, you ever gonna trust him?

Ever be able to turn your back on him?

He didn't mean to shoot.

Oh, didn't he?

I meant to say he didn't mean to shoot the boy.

Hey, Sam, what are you uptight about?

I mean, the first time you told the story, you played it right out.

All of a sudden, now you're a nervous witness.

Didn't mean to shoot. Daly testified.

The guy shot and he fired in self-defense. Now, which is it?

He meant to shoot or he didn't? I wasn't on the roof.

I didn't actually see. I just heard the shots.

I was coming up the fire escape and I heard a shot.

One shot? Yeah, the first one. The one the guy fired at Daly.

And the one in return, the one that Daly fired back? How soon after?

I know. It's hard to say.

Sam, five seconds, ten seconds?

No, no more than five. Five seconds.

Hey, it's a big, big problem.

You know that, don't you?

Daly testified that the guy shot and he fired back in self-defense.

What would he wait for?

How come you wouldn't see the kid there standing there?

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe it was less than five.

Or maybe it was more, Sam.

Something stinks.

It's a good girl.

Nice and easy.

You won't get hurt.

[tense music]

Drop it!

Drop it!

[tense music]

[gunshot]

[music]

[music].

[glass clinks]

[glass clinks].

Anybody here from Crocker?

Am I disturbing anything?

Oh, can I get an answer?

To what? To Crocker? He's not back yet.

Oh, yeah, why don't you call the big A?

Or call Center and find him.

Leo

may I see you a minute?

Yeah.

[door opens]

I had a call from Nicola and a few other people.

They say you're after Daly.

I've heard the drums.

Yeah, well, the question is why, Theo.

The grand jury let him off.

The newspapers find out you're keeping it open.

The department gets bloodied again.

It is something to consider.

Are we in the public relations business, Frank?

Or do we give the suckers an even break and say, "Hey, look, we're solving crimes"?

Nobody's telling you to look away.

Oh, really? What are they telling me?

First they want to throw Daly to the wolves, and then they

say, "Look, folks, "we police ourselves as well as you,"

and now the line seems to have been switched around completely.

Legally, the kid isn't a clear, so don't make waves.

Do you have anything? That's what downtown wants to know.

Frank, if I had it, they'd have it.

Hey, look, we've got an open case here.

Somebody stuck a guy with a knife.

Now, if we find him, it's all tied together.

We find out if Daly's been conning us.

Why would he shoot a kid?

Maybe Daly was running scared.

Maybe he would have shot his own mother if she was up on that roof.

I'm not after him.

Yeah? Captain.

Lieutenant, we've got a copy of the court record on Daly's arrest of Frank Lucas.

DA refuses to prosecute because Daly's testimony

is different from that of the person on the scene.

You think I asked about that?

You think that's a reasonable question, Crocker?

I think it's reasonable.

It's reasonable for me to know what's going on?

Yeah, why don't you fill in for Captain? I've got some calls to make.

Well, we'll sign that, Captain, instead.

The lieutenant was right.

It's a real girl after all.

That's all I know.

Marty went out and he never came back.

So I went to get my coat.

Where did he go for the money?

He didn't tell me.

Marty Vaughn.

Oh, yeah, Marty Vaughn.

Oh.

I'm surprised that you care.

I mean, I thought you had better taste.

Consorting with common burglars, huh?

But for you, he went big-time, didn't he?

He killed Mr. Conway for borrowing you.

Yet now he goes out, but he doesn't come back.

Got any idea why?

Maybe he went to Florida without me.

Oh, come on. Even for an ape like him, girls like you don't grow on trees.

Something must be stopping him.

Lot of missing persons on him, okay?

But if he was going out for cash,

maybe he ran into trouble and got himself picked up.

You mean arrested?

That's what happens.

-Saperstein. -Yes, sir.

Would you escort the young lady downtown?

Can't I just get my coat first?

(laughing)

Just check it out, will you, please?

Come on, Turkey. Hey!

Vaughn. V-A-U-G-H-N. Anything on him?

Yeah, Manhattan South.

Well, can't you look for, cry not loud?

Yes, Detective Crocker, Manhattan South.

Well, I'd appreciate it if you find something.

Mark Vaughn.

-Thank you very much. -Yeah. Crocker, Manhattan South.

Just some information. Hello?

Hey, Lieutenant, no hospital room makes 'em.

The precincts here in Manhattan South, they hang up.

It's a freeze. They think we're out persecuting Daly.

It's no use, Lieutenant. If anybody's holding him, we're gonna have to...

We're gonna have to hit every station house in the city to find him in person.

Maybe you can break him. Maybe you can go around and...

Go around and around and around with the hat in my hand, right?

I don't care if they build a wall around me ten feet high...

Or start sticking pins in the door with my name on it.

I'm not running a popularity contest. That's gone beyond that now.

Well, you can understand, Theo.

Some of the men think that Daly's getting a fast shuffle.

The department making itself look good at his expense.

I'll let them sign a petition. Now, look.

They're into my job.

And I won't stand for it. They're interfering with an open investigation.

-Like what? -Oh, just take my word for it.

You don't sit back from this one, Rocco.

Because if some jackasses feel we're running a fraternal society...

Instead of a police department, we're all in trouble.

Get in here.

If he's sitting somewhere, you'll know about it.

(SIREN WAILING).

(SIREN WAILING).

(SIREN WAILING).

Hi. Don't get up.

I'm a cop.

Look, Carol sends her regards.

-Where is she? -Rehearsing.

Yeah, she's gonna tell us why you killed Conway.

I got good news for you.

The doctor says you'll be ready to testify in about a month, maybe.

You're a dead man. I mean, with your record.

And Carol will testify and understand.

You'll be going away for life.

If that's what you want to call it.

Hey.

You're garbage.

Understand you're a punk.

And you're responsible for that kid being dead.

Oh, yeah. You hid behind him and then you threw him into the shot, right?

-I did, huh? -Uh-huh, you did.

And you gotta live with it.

I don't.

I don't have to live with it either, man.

Hey, you just told me a fairy tale.

Marty, I know. We got the wrong man, you didn't kill Conway...

and you didn't run up on the roof, right?

Oh, you're a Saint, cop.

I can tell that right off.

You think your side is all going to heaven.

Hey, listen. I'm an angel compared to your boy.

Yeah?

-Which one? -Which one?

The one who shot that kid.

At least I knew what I was doing.

Oh, but your cop. A big hero.

He was so scared he shot the first thing that moved.

I went up on the roof.

Wasn't my gun you found.

You can call names now, huh?

Okay. You willing to testify to that?

No chance, man.

Hey, look, if I didn't kill Conway, I wasn't in the building, right?

I didn't see anything.

Looks like you're stuck with a bad cop, huh?

[♪♪♪]

You know, when I was a rookie cop, I used to wonder about things like this.

I wondered what would happen to me.

Maybe in a basement, a dark alley.

A lonely street late at night.

Me with my gun in my hand, firing at shadows.

Only when the shadows fell, it turned out to be an old woman or maybe a kid.

You know, every cop wonders about that daily.

Lieutenant, I told you the truth.

Did you?

I didn't mean to kill him. Not a kid.

What'd you fire?

In self-defense.

All right.

Tell me what happened, Daly.

And try to remember it. See, it's important.

I ran up the stairs.

It was dark, but someone was up here.

I knew it. I could feel it.

Did you see him?

No, no one. But he had just killed someone, and I wasn't about to let him do it to me.

I heard him. Moving.

And I stood still, waiting.

Shadows, Daly.

In this case, they turned out to be somebody.

A young kid.

Look, I had to shoot. Had to.

Now, I thought it was him. Now, you believe me, don't you, Lieutenant?

No.

It was this gun that supposedly shot at you.

Belonged to a Frank Lucas, and you collared him.

But you didn't turn the gun into the property department.

Now, you kept him from going to trial because he was gonna blow the whistle on you.

Now, when we find him, he's gonna tell the truth.

And he doesn't want to be a part of this now, does he?

I am a cop!

It's all I ever wanted, ever thought about.

Nothing else!

I never took any money, and it was offered me plenty.

I stayed clean. I kept working for a gold shield.

Being with you, I couldn't believe my luck, and I'm telling you, it was an accident!

All of it?

That night, I thought I was gonna die.

Now, you understand that, don't you?

You know what it's like.

I fired. I fired. So what?

I didn't see who it was until it was too late.

Look, it was a mistake, okay? A terrible mistake.

There was no one else ever. Just that kid.

Just the kid was up here.

I'll tell you.

When I saw who it was, I knew it was all gone.

Everything. Everything! I knew it was all gone, my life!

Everything I wanted, everything I worked for, it was all gone!

So you took the small gun, fired at the wall, and threw the gun down the air shaft?

What harm did it do, huh?

Nothing was gonna bring that kid back.

Maybe it could save me, huh?

Maybe it'd give me a chance to make up for it someday!

Okay, shooting that kid. Judgment. Bad as it was.

But covering up, there's where you blew it.

- Come on, Lieutenant. - Shut up!

Now, what you did disgraced every police officer in the city.

You're no good. That's the end of the story.

I don't know about you, pal, but I wanted this transfer.

Even if this Kojak does run our tails off.

(DOOR SLAMS).

- Hi, Lieutenant. - See you tomorrow.

Yeah, sure.

- It's not that easy. - Yeah, I'll be downtown.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING).

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC ENDS).