There's very little humor in this episode, and nearly all the drama centers on Lieutenant Abigail Marsh after she shoots a young 12 year old in a run-down part of town. The Simon brothers and Cecilia support Abby through the grueling ordeal that follows, with Rick and A.J. helping to clear Abby's name. But for a while, things don't look too good.
The trouble has occurred because Abby chased a suspect into an apartment building after a nearby liquor store had been robbed. As she turned a corner and looked upstairs, the suspect's gun was being aimed directly at her. Abby ended up shooting and killing the person holding the gun, who was not the suspect, but instead was the young boy. Of course, the suspect had given the gun to the kid, but it becomes a matter of proving it.
Proving it is harder than they realize, when most of the people in the apartment building refuse to step forward. Abby goes through a lot of turmoil; she is placed on suspension and ordered by the department to undergo counseling. She just wants to leave San Diego and be with her family in Colorado; during this process, she realizes the Simons are her family, too. A break in the case finally occurs when an older woman named Bessie Copland (Maidie Norman in her last screen appearance) calls A.J. with the intention of ratting on the killer. But the killer is there and offs her before his identity can be revealed.
It's up to another woman, the mother of the boy, to right the wrongs. The mother is played by Joan Pringle who does an extraordinary job with a tough role. She is supposed to be grieving the loss of her son but conflicted about loyalties in the ghetto. The final scene where she takes the law into her own hands is not entirely unexpected but it's powerful, and the episode ends on a very serious note because of it.
I am giving this one a 10, though I am not sure how accurate it may be in terms of what would actually happen to a lieutenant who accidentally kills an innocent child. I am sure there'd be a lot of bureaucratic red tape, where a thorough investigation would be conducted by the Internal Affairs division. While we see Abby's boss, we do not really get much information about how the situation is being handled internally. There are other cops at the scene when Bessie is eliminated, but we do not really observe any of them doing much to close in on the killer. Apprehending the bad guy is left up to the Simons who cuff him and lead him off at the end. In a way, Rick and A.J. are Abby's faithful deputies.
The trouble has occurred because Abby chased a suspect into an apartment building after a nearby liquor store had been robbed. As she turned a corner and looked upstairs, the suspect's gun was being aimed directly at her. Abby ended up shooting and killing the person holding the gun, who was not the suspect, but instead was the young boy. Of course, the suspect had given the gun to the kid, but it becomes a matter of proving it.
Proving it is harder than they realize, when most of the people in the apartment building refuse to step forward. Abby goes through a lot of turmoil; she is placed on suspension and ordered by the department to undergo counseling. She just wants to leave San Diego and be with her family in Colorado; during this process, she realizes the Simons are her family, too. A break in the case finally occurs when an older woman named Bessie Copland (Maidie Norman in her last screen appearance) calls A.J. with the intention of ratting on the killer. But the killer is there and offs her before his identity can be revealed.
It's up to another woman, the mother of the boy, to right the wrongs. The mother is played by Joan Pringle who does an extraordinary job with a tough role. She is supposed to be grieving the loss of her son but conflicted about loyalties in the ghetto. The final scene where she takes the law into her own hands is not entirely unexpected but it's powerful, and the episode ends on a very serious note because of it.
I am giving this one a 10, though I am not sure how accurate it may be in terms of what would actually happen to a lieutenant who accidentally kills an innocent child. I am sure there'd be a lot of bureaucratic red tape, where a thorough investigation would be conducted by the Internal Affairs division. While we see Abby's boss, we do not really get much information about how the situation is being handled internally. There are other cops at the scene when Bessie is eliminated, but we do not really observe any of them doing much to close in on the killer. Apprehending the bad guy is left up to the Simons who cuff him and lead him off at the end. In a way, Rick and A.J. are Abby's faithful deputies.