All language subtitles for Dragnet S03E12 Internal Affairs (DR-20).DVDRip.NonHI.cc.en

This is the city.

Los Angeles, California.

I work here.

I carry a badge.

The story you're
about to see is true.

The names have been
changed to protect the innocent.

It was Thursday, October 10th.

It was cool in Los Angeles.

We were working the day watch

out of Internal
Affairs Division.

The boss is Captain Bradley.

My partner is Bill Gannon.

My name's Friday.

When any member of the
Los Angeles Police Department

is accused of misconduct,

it's the job Internal
Affairs Division

to conduct an investigation.

We checked in with the acting
commander of Sunset Division.

An accusation had come from
a man in custody at the division.

His name was John Meadows.

His charge against
the arresting officer,

police brutality

You're the men from IAD?

Yes, sir.

Bill Gannon and Joe Friday.

The captain's off sick.

I'm acting commander.

How do you want to handle this?

Some place we could
use for an interview room?

- My office would be all right?
- Yes, sir, fine.

Do you have the complainant's
statement, Lieutenant?

Being typed up now.

Have you had a chance to
check Hillier's personnel file?

Only briefly, sir.
Brought it along with us.

Let me save you
some reading time.

Ed Hillier has
been assigned here

since he graduated
from the academy.

His personnel rating reports
put him in the top 10%.

I just put through
a commendation

that should earn him
the medal of valor.

Served in Vietnam,
wounded, decorated.

Military service
record reads as good

as the one he's piled up here.

College man, two
years. Happily married.

Sounds like you've been
keeping an eye on him, Lieutenant?

How do you mean that?

Well, you seem to have made
a special study of this Hillier.

No more than the other
200 men at this station.

I make it my business
to know about them.

And that's what's
gnawing at me inside.

Yes, sir.

In my book, Ed Hillier adds up

to an intelligent,
dedicated policeman.

Now, if the charge against
him is true, the question is this,

Did Hillier fail us,
or did we fail him?

Is there something I'm not
giving my people at roll call?

Is it the training program or
did we simply misjudge this man

when we said he was good
enough to wear a badge?

Well, that's part of what
we're here to find out, sir.

While you're at it, maybe
you can find this out.

Is it possible the department

expects too much of
these young officers?

- How do you mean, sir?
- How long has it been

since either one of you
have been out on the street?

It's been a while.

I don't get out
there much, either.

I'm nailed to this desk.

But I hear it and
see it every day...

The name calling,
the verbal abuse,

the days a policeman
has become the symbol

of the so called establishment,

the visual target
for practically

every gripe society
has these days.

I don't mean to sound
like a bleeding heart,

but it's true isn't it?

It seems to be. Yes, sir.

I'm sorry.

I'll climb out of my box now.

I didn't mean to put
you two through all that.

We understand sir.

- You ought to talk to Reed and
Malloy of the backup team.
- Yes, sir we will.

I told him to wait
before they go off watch.

Yes, sir that will be fine.

- I'd hate to lose Hillier. He's
a good man.
- Yes, sir.

But if he's turned sour, he's
no good to the department.

9:30 am.

Bill picked up the
complainant's statement

and the arrest report.

I examined Officer Ed
Hillier's personnel record.

We asked the jailer to
bring the complainant,

John Meadows, to the office.

- All right. You want to sit
down there?
- Okay.

He's Sgt. Friday,
my name's Gannon.

- We're from Internal Affairs
Division.
- What's that?

Well among other things, Internal
Affairs investigates complaints

against police officers
and you filed a complaint.

It's a pretty good
deal, isn't it?

Oh? How's that sir?

Policemen
investigating policemen.

Let me explain it to you.

We're here because
the Chief of Police

cares about your complaint,

so does the Police Commission.

When we've completed
our investigation here,

the chief or a board
of accused policeman's

superior officers will weigh the
evidence and make a decision.

Now, Officer Hillier,

the man you've accused
could be reprimanded,

suspended for up to six
months without pay, or fired,

or he could be
cleared of the charges.

But it's still policemen passing
judgment on a policeman.

Regardless of what decision
the department makes,

you're still entitled to file
whatever legal action you might

care to bring against
the arresting officer.

- Is that clear?
- I see.

Now as far as policemen
passing judgment on policemen,

wouldn't it be a good idea to
wait and see the outcome before

you make up your
mind it's one-sided?

Maybe. We'll see.

All right, sir, state
your true name.

John Everett Meadows Jr.

Your address please.

221 Garland Street.

Have you ever been
arrested before?

Yeah, four times.

You want to give us
the circumstances?

1951, back in Omaha, Nebraska.

I was 12 years old.

I liked ball games.

I had a big thing for
the left field fence.

The management couldn't see it.

All right Mr. Meadows,

will you tell us what
happened at 221 Garland Street

at approximately 1:47 am
this morning, October 10?

I told it all once
to that Sergeant.

- We'd like to hear it again if
you would, please.
- All right.

But first, I want to make
one thing abundantly clear.

Yeah, sir. Go ahead.

I'm no cook.

I work for a living.

I don't burn draft cards, pick
at politicians or smoke pot.

I pay my bills and
I pay my taxes.

I just want to get the
record straight, understood?

Perfectly. That
makes four of us.

Yeah? Who's the fourth?

Officer Hillier.

More power to him.

Okay. It's on the record.

Now, you want to tell us
exactly what happened?

There wasn't much to it really.

Not to start with anyhow.

We were having a few
drinks, six of us, three couples.

We'd work late at the store,
Cliveden's over on Wilshire.

I'm a buyer there,
men's furnishing's.

They were the
people I work with.

You've got their
names and addresses.

Good people, all of them.

You say you were drinking?

Well, yeah. Not
heavy. Just to unwind.

Go on Meadows.

Well, I guess we
got a little noisy.

The old gal next
door called the cops.

Did she tell you she called?

Yeah. So we broke it up.

Started to anyway.

Well how do you mean?

Well, the first couple left,
Ted Nichols and his fiancé.

Their names are on your list.

- Nichols? Wasn't he the 502?
- 502?

Drunk.

Hillier said he was
drunk. That's his opinion.

In my opinion, he
was a long way from it.

All right, what happened then?

Ted and his gal got in the car.

Just then, Hillier and his
partner came around the corner.

Ted pulled away from the curve.

His foot slipped
on the gas pedal

and he banged
into a station wagon.

It was parked maybe
20 feet in front of him.

Hillier was just
in time to see it.

- Go on.
- We heard the noise and came
outside.

Hillier was already
giving Ted a bad time.

- In what way?
- What do you mean?

Well, in what way was Officer
Hillier giving Nichols a bad time?

Oh, you know, bugging him for
his license, shaking him down,

accusing him of being
stoned... The whole stupid bit.

And Teddy is not
even feeling good.

- What happened then?
- I asked this Hillier for his
badge number.

He told me to
read it for myself.

Well, I reached for his
badge and he jumped back.

And what happened next?

Now this is when I goofed
and I'm the first guy to admit it.

Hillier's partner had
Teddy in the police car.

I knew they were
going to take him in

and that really burned
me up. I started for him.

I guess Hillier thought I was
going to try and get him loose.

- Were you?
- Come on Sergeant, be serious.

With two cops around
and more on the way,

I'm going to try and spring a
guy from out of a police car?

It's happened before.

Well, I guess that's what
Hillier must have thought.

But I hadn't committed
murder you know.

So how does Hillier react?

Like, I just machine
gunned City Hall man.

I don't mean maybe.

He was all over me.

And then wham down I went.

Well exactly what do you
mean by, "down I went"?

Exactly what it sounds like.

Hillier slugged me.

Where did he strike you?

Right here on the jaw.

Did you request
medical attention?

Well you bet I did.

It felt like that cop
tore my head off.

What did Officer
Hillier strike you with?

- His fist.
- His fist?

And you say you went down?

That's right on both knees.

Tell me, are those the same
trousers you were wearing

when you were
arrested this morning?

- That's right.
- No damage to the material is
there?

It was on the
parkway. It's all grass.

Light colored material,
no grass stains.

You two just playing
detective with me or

are you doing what
I strongly suspect?

Trying to whitewash
this whole affair.

Well you said it
yourself Mr. Meadows.

Oh yeah? What's that?

Just want to get
the record straight.

10:10 am.

I called Cliveden's
the clothing store

where John Meadows worked.

I spoke to the four witnesses.

You get a hold of them?

- Yeah, they all said they'd be
in to give us their statements.
- What about Hillier?

On his way in. He should
be here in about an hour.

Back up team, Reed and Malloy

are waiting for us in
the Roll Call Room.

- Did you talk to them?
- Only to say hello. Malloy is
the senior man.

- Been on the job seven years,
Reed's the probationer.
- Yeah.

I don't know you take
a look at that Reed.

It seems to me they're
getting younger all the time Joe.

Or we're getting older.

Here's my partner,
Sergeant Friday.

- Pete Malloy.
- Malloy.

- My partner, Jim Reed.
- Reed.

- Sit down.
- Reed, I might have to ask you
before,

your dad in the department?

- No sir, wrong Reed.
- Oh.

- Sergeant?
- Yeah?

What's going to
happen to Ed Hillier?

Depends on whether the
complaint against him is justified.

What happens if it is?

He can draw a suspension of
up to 30 days without pay from

the chief or he may
have to face a trial board.

Now, you know what that is?

Not too much, no sir.

Good try to keep it that way.

The trial board has three
other ranking officers,

captain or above.

The board can suspend
him for up to six months

without pay or fire him.

- It's kind of rough.
- So is a punch in the jaw.

Ed Hillier is a good man,
smart, conscientious,

works hard, and he likes people.

All right. Let's talk
about last night.

There's not a whole lot to tell.

We were the backup unit.

If Hillier punched
anybody in the jaw,

it was before we got there.

When you arrived,
what was going on?

Hillier had Meadows
up against his unit.

He was shaking him down.

His partner Pollack had the
502 suspect in the backseat.

That was Nichols?

Ted Nichols, that's right.

What were the
other people doing?

They were drunk and loud.

Any name calling going on?

The usual. Giving
all of us a bad time.

Hillier's partner Pollack got
out of the car and asked if we'd

make the TA report and take
the 502 down at the station.

Said they had to drive the
other guy to Central Receiving.

- Did he say why?
- He said he'd been hurt
resisting arrest.

- Who said?
- Hillier.

What did you do then?

We cleared the area
then went back on patrol.

This Nichols, did he
appear drunk to you?

He was definitely
under the influence.

He registered 0.2 on in the BA.
It was a good arrest Sergeant.

All right, we'll go
over all this again

when you make your
individual statements.

But I want you
to think carefully

about what I'm
going to ask you now.

Did Hillier seem upset?

Did he do anything out
of the ordinary? Reed?

Not that I noticed.

Malloy?

He said something.

Maybe it's important,
maybe it isn't.

Everything's important.

When I first walked up to him,

he turned his head toward
me and kind of whispered.

What did he say?

"I'm sick," he said.

"I'm so sick I could vomit."

10:30 am.

We talked with Officer
Ed Hillier's partner,

Tom Pollack in the Sunset
Division coffee room.

11 am, the 502 suspect Ted
Nichols was brought from his

jail cell to the watch
commander's office.

Nichols managed the
men's sportswear department

at the same store
where Meadows worked.

He had put up bail and
was technically free to go.

Rough night
Sergeant, really rough.

So we understand.

I don't know what
you understand,

but I'm telling you my
part of it was real rough.

I drink too much, you know that?

Mr. Nichols, you
know why you're here?

Some kind of mix up that has
to do Johnny Meadows. Is that it?

Yes, sir, we'd like you to
tell us what happened over

on Garland this morning.

You've got to believe I
was out of it most of the time,

at least from 9 o'clock on.

That's when we
started hitting the juice.

Just tell us what you remember.

Beginning when?

At the beginning as
best you can recall.

Well, we were in
Johnny's apartment.

The stereo was going full blast.

Everybody was laughing at Patsy.

She's a real kick, you know.

She does a great
imitation of an opera singer.

A real talented girl Patsy is.

Yes, sir. Go on, please.

Well there's a knock
on the apartment door,

Johnny opened it.

I saw this heavy set lady.

She said she'd had
it with all the noise

and the cops were on the
way. That was all I had to hear.

As soon as the woman left, I
grabbed Alice by the arm and took off.

We ran outside and
jumped in the car.

I couldn't get it
started though.

I was nervous, I guess.

Just as it did fire up, I
looked in the rearview mirror

and a police car was
pulling in behind us.

Well, now why were
you nervous Mr. Nichols?

Simple, I'm scared
to death of cops.

Don't ask me why. I just am.

Ever been arrested before?

No, sir. I was raised
to believe anybody that

had ever been
arrested was a bum.

I'm no bum.

A drunken bum maybe
but not an ordinary bum.

What happened after you saw
the police car pulling in behind you?

I was looking in the
rearview mirror at

that black and white car
and I stepped on the gas.

There was a crash
and the next thing

I knew somebody's
helping me out of the car.

Would you go on, please?

I've gone on just about
as far as I can go on.

I remember looking
at a policeman.

I remember walking
in the police station.

I remember blowing
into some kind of gadget.

I remember being here
right now and that's it.

Do you recall any
kind of altercation?

- What do you mean?
- Anybody hit anybody.

It sure wouldn't have been
me. I couldn't find the sidewalk.

Somebody hit somebody? Who says?

- One of the cops
claimed Johnny hit him?
- The other way around.

- Johnny says he got slugged
by one of the cops?
- That's what he says.

- I don't know about you,
but I believe him.
- Is that right?

I've known Johnny
Meadows for over 10 years

and I've never known
him to lie about anything.

11:40 a.m.

Officer Edward W. Hillier
reported in for his interview.

He told us substantially the
same story that we had gotten

from his partner and
from the backup team,

Officers Reed and Malloy.

Hillier had been
removed from field duty

and placed on station duty

pending the outcome
of the IAD investigation.

We asked the suspect
and his passenger

to get out of the vehicle.

They complied.

My partner started to
interrogate the woman passenger.

I asked the suspect
for his driver's license.

His name was Ted Nichols.

We didn't try to give him
the field sobriety exam.

He was so drunk, we were afraid

he might fall down
and hurt himself.

At this point, I
heard loud voices,

and I observed four people,
two men and two women,

approaching from the
duplex at 221 Garland.

The person doing all the talking
was a man named John Meadows

who we later booked for
interfering due to the fact that

he grabbed my partner's arm
and tried to prevent him from

placing the 502
suspect in our unit.

You say Meadows
was doing all the talking.

Exactly what did he say?

- The usual things, you know.
- Tell us.

He called us the Gestapo,
fuzz, storm troopers,

the usual things you hear.

Said we had no right to
shove his friend around,

that he... Nichols, didn't do
any damage to the Ford wagon.

- Was there any damage?
- Yes, sir.

The rear bumper guards
were sheared off and

the left rear tail
light was smashed.

All right, Hillier, go on.

Well, this Meadows asked
me for my badge number.

I put my thumb behind the
shield and turned my light on.

He reached out
to grab the badge.

I told him not to touch it but to take
down the number if that's what he wanted.

And he made a grab for it. He got the
fingers of his right hand around the badge.

I twisted away to my
left breaking his hold.

I heard my shirt rip.
That's when he said it.

- Said what?
- Called me a pig cop.

He said all cops
were filthy pigs

and their wives
were sowbelly pigs.

Those were his exact words?

Yes, sir, his exact words.

Sergeant, before I
put that uniform on,

nobody ever called
me a pig before...

Nobody... my wife, either.

And I'm tired of hearing it.

What happened then?

I told him I was taking him in

for interfering with an arrest.

He said, "Try it, pig."

And that's when it happened.

When what happened?

- I backhanded him.
- Show us how.

I'm like this with the
back of my right hand.

- Where did you hit him?
- Across the right cheek, lower
portion of his right jaw.

- Did you cut him?
- No, sir, I didn't.

He said he was hurt so we drove
him over to Central Receiving.

You can check his MT slip.

No visible injury.

All right, Hillier, anything
else you want to add?

What else is there to say?

I'm cooked, and I know it.

- Let me ask you something,
Hillier.
- Yes, sir.

Why do you think
you struck that man?

You're a good policeman,
outstanding record on the job,

and you know better, don't you?

- I guess.
- You guess or you know?

I'll tell you what I
know, Sergeant.

Lately I've taken everything
from verbal abuse and threats

to being hospitalized
by a guy with the DTs.

In the last eight months
I've had two windshields

busted out of my unit.

First time, it was
a 30-aught-6 slug.

The guy who fired it
just didn't like cops.

Second time, it was a brick.

Kid who threw it had to take
time out from what he was doing

burning the American flag.

I've lost count how
many dents we've had

to roll out of the unit.

Rocks, bottles,
chunks of lumber.

You name it, they throw it,

the people who we're
hired to protect and serve.

You guys tell me.

I can't pull up an answer.

Would you say that this
Meadows could have been

the last straw,
maybe, is that it?

Maybe.

When that guy was
clawing at my badge

and screeching at me,

all I could seem to
see were the faces.

The angry mouths of everybody

I've come in contact
with the last few months.

I guess that's who I
was backhanding...

Every one of them,
not just Meadows.

Hillier, your
personal history card

lists a whole string
of commendations

from those angry
citizens you have to serve.

But if it didn't
list one, so what?

You pick up your
check, don't you?

You get paid to be a
policeman, not to be loved.

Well, you don't buy that
100%, do you, Sergeant?

No. I'd like a kind
word now and again.

When they don't come, I
write it off as part of the job.

When you first put that uniform
on nobody every told you you'd

be running in a popularity
contest, now did they?

No, sir, they didn't.

Your PRR puts you in the
top 10% of the department.

Now to me, that indicates
a trained, capable,

disciplined police officer
not a back alley brawler.

You were riding
with a young partner.

What kind of example do
you think you set for him?

And worse, you committed

one of the cardinal
sins in our business.

You struck a man.

And I'll use your words,

a man you're hired
to protect and to serve.

Now one last thing,
Hillier, and maybe

this is the most
pregnant issue of all.

These are tenuous
times we live in.

The young people in this
country are groping, searching for a

direction and they're
having trouble finding it.

The older people in our
society are not much better off.

They seem to have lost or
misplaced one of our great

American commodities, a
true sense of the real values.

The values that
built this country

into the great one that it is.

I'll tell you I never thought
I'd live to see the day that it

had become stylish to shout
down constituted law injustice, to

scream police brutality at
almost every opportunity.

There's the key
to this, Hillier.

When you lost control
this morning at 2 a.m.

out there on Garland
Street, you laid another bruise

on every man who wears
a uniform and a badge.

Your newspaper story will give
credence to those whose sole aim

is to kick authority
right in the groin.

And you've shaken the
confidence of those who

believe in order with justice.

A lot more went down
out there on Garland Street

this morning besides a man
being struck by a policeman.

But is it asking too
much Sergeant?

- What's that?
- The people.

What about them?

Can't they see there
are two sides to it?

12 noon, Officer Ed
Hillier's wife asked

if she could talk to us.

Can I get you a cup
of coffee, Mrs. Hillier?

No thank you.

I'll make this as
brief as possible.

I know you men are busy.

Take your time.
We're not that busy.

Thank you.

I'm scared to
death, I really am.

There's no need
to be, Mrs. Hillier.

I feel that Ed's whole
future is at stake.

Please don't let
him be fired. Please.

Well it isn't up to us, but
he'll be given a fair hearing.

I brought this.

I thought it might
help prove Ed's story.

He thinks it's a blouse
I'm taking back to the store.

Open it, please.

That's why I
wanted to talk to you.

Ed said he didn't think it
would make much difference

but I hope it will.

Ed's shirt?

Yes, the one he wore last night.

- You can see it's torn there
where he wears his badge.
- Yes, ma'am.

Well, that proves he's
telling the truth, doesn't it?

We're not questioning
his truthfulness Mrs. Hillier.

- Ed's a good policeman
Sergeant.
- Yes, ma'am.

He's never made
a mistake before.

This was a big one.

He mustn't lose his job.

It's his life, his whole life.

That's all there is to it.

6:30 p.m.

We interviewed the first of
the four witnesses who were in

Meadow's apartment
the night of the incident.

Look, there's no question
about it, that cop cuffed Johnny.

What do you mean cuffed him?

Like this it was with
the back of his hand

right across the face. He
gave him a good whack.

Was there any provocation for
Officer Hillier striking Meadows?

- How do you mean?
- Was there any name calling?

Not a word. That cop
just hit him for no reason.

The next witness was
a clerk at the store.

Her name was Patsy Cronin.

Well, I should say so.

They always seem
to get a kick out of

my opera star impersonations.

- Yes, ma'am.
- You say you heard some name
calling?

I sure did.

Johnny Meadows is a
pain when he gets tanked.

Called that policeman
a pig... His wife, too.

Want to know what I think?

Yes, ma'am, what do you think?

I don't blame that officer.

I'd have knocked
Johnny's head off.

The third witness
was Mary Kay Morton.

She worked as a
secretary in the store.

I guess the reason
the cop hit him was

because Johnny
grabbed for his badge.

Did you see anything
else, Miss Morton?

- No, but I heard something.
- What did you hear?

The sound of fabric being
ripped, you know torn?

Have you any idea where
that sound came from?

- I know where it came from.
- Yes, ma'am.

When that bonehead Johnny
grabbed the policeman's badge,

he tore his shirt.

The fourth and final
witness was Alice Jenkins,

the girlfriend of the 502
suspect, Ted Nichols.

Teddy told me he's sorry
about that man's station wagon,

but he's going to
pay for the damage.

All right, now, have
you told us everything

you can remember
about this morning?

Yes, everything.

I'll tell you how this
entire mess looks to me.

All right, Miss
Jenkins, go ahead.

No matter what
anybody calls a cop,

he's no right to hit anybody.

8:37 p.m.

We concluded our
investigation of the incident

involving Officer
Edward Hillier.

Tomorrow morning, we would
reduce it all down to paper

and submit the reports to
the Captain for processing.

How's it look, Friday?

Well, my guess is
that he'll be sat down.

How hard, I don't
know, Lieutenant.

What's the bottom line?

As far as answers go,

the kind you're looking for,

I'm afraid we didn't
come up with many.

I suppose not.

You know, we had
a pretty good chief

that you served
under and so did we.

Bill Parker.

Maybe he said it best.

We'll always have
incidents like this

because we have one big problem

in selecting police officers.

What's that?

We have to recruit
from the human race.

John Meadows was
given a 30-day sentence

in the Los Angeles County Jail.

Since it was his first offense,

the sentence was suspended.

The accused police
officer Edward Hillier

waived his right to a hearing

by a board of his
superior officers.

In the judgment of
the Chief of Police,

he was considered to
have used excessive force

in the apprehension
of John Meadows.

He was suspended
from duty for 30 days

with complete loss
of pay and benefits.