I'm gonna duck into the diner, ring it out.
I'm about to burst.
You want me to bring you back something?
I'm good.
♪
Hey! This is the ladies!
What are you doing? Get out of here!
Wait, oh! NYPD! Halt!
Let go of the gun!
Oh! Oh, my God, you shot me!
You really shot me.
Precinct 55, this is Charlie to Central. 10-13.
Shots fired in the women's restroom
at Frankie's Diner, 46th and Third,
requesting a bus forthwith.
Stay down.
SCOTT: Sorry to keep you waiting, Dr. Bull.
Suffice it to say,
it's not a good night to be a police officer.
Police Commissioner Scott, I don't envy you.
It can't be easy.
I see you got my message. You-you started without me.
Simply grilled fish with some steamed vegetables.
Thought I'd leave the good stuff for you.
Ah, I can't eat. Don't have any appetite.
On my way over, somebody threw a rock
at a squad car at 179th Street,
and just as I was coming in here,
we heard about a Molotov cocktail
being thrown at a station house
in Kings County.
An officer shot an unarmed black man,
and it wasn't for the first time.
Oh, come on, the guy bursts into a ladies' bathroom
just as the officer was about to do her business.
Well, he drank too much, he knew he was getting sick.
Men's room was locked.
So he says.
I guess the real question is:
would she have shot him if he were white?
Thanks.
We're talking about a second grade teacher,
out celebrating his Teacher of the Year award
who had a mimosa too many.
Hardly public enemy number one.
Where I come from, you grab an officer's gun,
you should expect to get shot.
I don't care what your day job is.
Frankly, he's lucky she just winged him.
Frankly, the department's lucky she just winged him.
What can I do for you, Commissioner Scott?
This, uh...
victim, this Cal Peterson guy
just hit us with a federal civil rights claim.
Okay, City Hall has a floor full of attorneys,
so I'll ask again.
Why are you paying for my fish?
I need more than a good lawyer, Dr. Bull.
I need someone who can really work a jury.
Anti-cop sentiment has never been higher.
I'll give you my best advice for free:
settle, and do it quickly.
We made Peterson an offer this morning.
His attorney made it clear
that we were off by a factor of at least ten.
Offer more.
Dr. Bull.
Listen.
I heard what you said in there,
and in fact, it may come to that,
but at least initially,
I owe it to the city, I owe it to the force,
to go into a courtroom and declare
in as full-throated a way as I can,
that this had nothing to do with race.
Nothing to do with some systemic problem in the police force.
This was a woman protecting herself
in a situation where any reasonable person
would've felt threatened
and would respond just as Officer Harris did.
And by the way, Officer Harris?
She's Tonya Harris.
She's a real person.
She takes home maybe 47 grand a year,
and if she weighs 105 pounds, she weighs a lot.
Doesn't she deserve the right to clear her name?
Right now she is the most hated woman in New York,
and that's not right.
Could I at least get you to meet her?
♪
SCOTT: You see that pep rally down the street?
That's where we're headed.
[chanting]: Don't shoot! Hands up! Don't shoot!
♪
SCOTT: My offer still stands.
We'd be happy to put you up in a hotel.
[crowd shouting outside]
It's getting kind of crazy out there.
Why would I move?
I've got round-the-clock protection.
My boys aren't gonna let anything happen to me.
[sighs]
Tonya. [clears throat]
This is Dr. Bull, the gentleman I told you about.
I think I'm gonna step out, let you two have a chat.
CROWD: Hands up! Don't shoot! Hands up! Don't shoot!
Hands up! Don't shoot!
[door opens, closes]Hands up! Don't shoot!
[chanting continues]Nice to meet you, Tonya.
No, it isn't.
You're here because I shot an unarmed man.
There's nothing nice about it.
Sorry. Figure of speech.
Your commissioner thought
I should spend some time with you, see if...
I thought there was some way I could help.
Can you undo it?
I don't think you can undo it.
This isall my fault.
Ah, you know, um, whether or not I decide
to help you... I'd encourage you not to say that out loud again.
But it's true.
Is it?
Blame is for the jury to decide,
not you. Your job is to tell me the truth
and let me guide you through this process.
I am telling you the truth.
I hate that I hurt that man.
And I hate that every police officer in the city
is three times more anxious today
than they were four days ago.
And I am disgusted with myself that I have given people
who are inclined to hate another reason to go on doing it.
[shouting continues outside]
Huh. Let's do this.
I know you're supposed to go to court tomorrow.
Let me reach out to Mr. Peterson's attorney today,
and see if there isn't some way we can settle this
before we even get to court.
Are you serious?
Mm.
That would be amazing.
I make no promises.
Thank you.
DANNY: Tell me it's not true.
Tell you what's not true?
TAC's not really gonna help defend the police officer
that shot the unarmed black school teacher?
Not that I'm aware of.
Where'd you get that idea?
Well, Bull just texted me.
"Find out everything you can on Cal Peterson."
Cal Peterson is the school teacher.
Yeah. First that I'm hearing of it.
But would it upset you if it were true?
I mean... you were in law enforcement.
Did you see the bodycam footage on the news?
He was going for her gun.
The guy was drunk. He was going
for the sink to puke his guts out.
Hmm... And that gun should have never been left
unsecured in the first place.
The cop broke protocol
by removing it in an unlocked public bathroom.
She created the threat.
True, but... he tried to grab it.
She had to defend herself.
The police officer is the one with the training.
There are a dozen ways
she could have de-escalated that situation.
Hey, you may be right, but I don't think it matters anyway.
As far as I know, we don't have anything to do with this case.
[sighs heavily]
WOMAN: You're not gonna take them all, are you?
Oh.
[laughs]
No. This is...
I just... Doesn't matter.
[chuckles]
Ms. Ford. Mm-hmm.
I'm... Dr. Jason Bull.
I know who you are, and I know what you do.
How can I help you, Dr. Bull?
Well, it's not me that needs your help.
It's the City of New York.
They approached me, and asked me to get involved
in this federal civil rights suit
that you and your client filed.
Frankly, I came over here to see what I could do
to make the whole thing go away.
Well, you can get them to offer my client $25 million.
[laughs]
What is it about that figure that amuses you?
Well, that's a big number for a flesh wound
that's probably gonna heal before this case finishes
winding its way through the courts.
And my bigger fear is that, in the meantime,
jackasses will line up on both sides of the argument
and use it as an excuse to make more trouble.
Hmm.
I'd always heard
that you were this crusader for civil rights, human rights.
I like to think I have been a significant voice
in that conversation,
a meaningful advocate for people whose rights have been violated.
And it may seem like just a flesh wound to you, Dr. Bull,
but to me, it's a bullet to the heart.
I'm reasonably sure if that had been a white man
in that bathroom, there'd have been no shots fired.
I've also learned over the years that the only thing that changes
an entrenched institution
like the City of New York is a big ding to their bank account.
And that's what I'm really after.
Big change.
Then I guess we're going to court.
I guess so.
You want the good news or the bad news?
Just... give us the news.
We're going to trial tomorrow, working on behalf
of Officer Tonya Harris and the NYPD.
Oh, my God.
And our strategy is...?
Well, Malia Ford is obviously gonna make this case about race.
So in choosing our jurors,
we are gonna do everything we can
to make it about everything but.
And how do we do that?
Well, we want to concentrate on the circumstances.
Not the people.
When you present the circumstances,
there is a solid foundation of facts
that supports the idea that Officer Harris...
was reasonably in fear for her life.
She shot Cal Peterson in self-defense.
White or black, our ideal juror
is someone who would make the same split-second decision.
Someone who doesn't take time to think in a crisis
but reacts in a blink.
What I call a "Blink Reactor."
Okay. So now we're looking for Blink Reactors.
Whatever those are.
BULL: We're not simply relying on how
jurors tell us they'd react in a crisis,
but also how long they take to answer the question.
The main thing is we don't care who these Blink Reactors are.
In fact, the more our jury looks like a jury forCal Peterson,
the more we will have started
to convince everyone in that courtroom,
most especially that jury,
that we're not trying a case about race.
We're trying a case about circumstances.
Hello, Miss Sloane.
I see that you are a hair stylist.
Actually, I own my own salon.
That's terrific.
Now, let's say one day...
a gentleman comes into your salon.
I don't know if he's crazy or high on PCP,
and he grabs one of your scissors,
and he starts swinging it around.
Threatening you and your customers.
What would you do?
Come on. You a thinker or a blinker?
I want you on this jury.
MARISSA: Seven seconds.
Eight seconds.BULL: You can do this.
Throw bleach in his face. Hit him with your hair dryer.
Move to strike, Your Honor.
What we don't want
are people who lack the confidence to take action.
Now, Mr. Sails, you work the door
at a club. Am I correct?
Yes, I do.Now, I bet when it gets pretty late,
people have had too much to drink,
gets kind of wild, huh?SAILS: It does.
BENNY: So let me ask you:
what would you do if one of your customers took a swing at you?
I would make it my business to see to it that he regrets it.
Instantly.
Without hesitation?
Instantly.
We also want jurors who believe people have a fundamental right
to protect what's theirs, whether it's their property,
their life or the lives of their loved ones.
Have you ever had your home
or apartment broken into?
Yes, a couple of years back.
And were you there at the time?No, thank goodness.
Thank goodness because you suspect the robber
might have hurt you or...?
Thank goodness because if I would have been there,
there'd be one dead robber right now.
This juror's acceptable to the defense, Your Honor.
Ms. Ford?
This juror is acceptable to the plaintiff, as well.
Then it looks like we've got our jury.
I saw your boss on the front page of the paper.
Sitting in court beside that cop that shot Cal Peterson.
Okay.
CHUNK: You know, Anna,
it's my job. I don't run the company.
I just work there.
You can hear how pathetic that sounds, right?
Actually, I can't.
'Cause I know how hard good jobs are to get.
And I know how important my job is right now,
seeing as that you're the one going to school.
And yeah, I know all about your scholarships,
but somebody's got to pay for books and housing...
Still pathetic.
[sighs]
I ever tell you what my dad gave me for my 14th birthday?
He gave me "The Talk."
Sat me down and told me all about how I should act
around the police.
"Don't attract attention.
"Don't make them mad.
Do whatever they say the second they say do it."
[scoffs]
And it all made me so angry.
I was embarrassed that he was telling me those things.
I was embarrassed that he believed those things.
And I was enraged that he accepted those things.
But deep down,
I knew what he was trying to do.
He was trying to... tell me the truth.
And I knew my white friends weren't having that talk.
[scoffs]
Not on their 14th birthday.
Not on their 40th birthday.
So, then, how can you go
and defend a white cop who shot one of us?
Well, this is what I tell myself.
For the justice system to really work,
it has to be colorblind.
Look, I don't know what really happened that night.
Who's right. Who's wrong.
But me being a part of it,
me being involved in the fact-finding process?
Well, I have to believe that somewhere,
my dad is smiling.
DANNY: Veronica Hill?
Ms. Hill. Hi.
My name is Danny James.
I'm an investigator working on the Cal Peterson case.
The unarmed schoolteacher who was shot
by the female police officer.
Okay, but I don't know anything about that
other than what I read online.
Isn't it true that Cal Peterson was your driver last year
after you summoned a rideshare service on your phone?
I'm sorry. I don't have time for this.
I have to pick something up for my boss and get it back to him.
But I saw that you filed a complaint against Mr. Peterson.
Do you mind telling me what happened?
Look, I really don't want to get dragged
into a big case like this.
Or I can subpoena you.
SCOTT: That's the jury you picked?
Are you sure you know what you're doing?
Nope. A lot of this is just dumb luck.
You still sure you don't want to settle?
CAL: I had been
to a big celebratory dinner earlier in the evening.
Um, it was a citywide celebration
honoring public education and public schoolteachers,
and I actually received
a Teacher of the Year award from the mayor.
And after this dinner, what did you do?
Uh, went out with some other teachers.
Had a few more drinks.
So, wait. Take us through this.
You're drinking with friends...
Well, uh...
this is embarrassing.
But the truth is I don't normally drink very much.
So when I left my friends
and when I started to walk home,
I realized, um, I was pretty messed up.
And then I started to get sick.
And I knew I really needed a bathroom,
and there was that diner, so I just ran in.
I tried the men's room first, but it was locked.
I was feeling desperate.
I... I didn't want to make a mess on the floor,
so I tried the door to the ladies' room,
and it wasn't locked.
MARISSA: Surprise, surprise. They like him.
Truth be told, I like him.
I don't recall anyone asking.
Okay, so, you open the door to the women's restroom.
And what happened?
Uh, there was a woman on the toilet,
but then I saw the sink...She was on the toilet?
Just about.
She may have been unbuttoning her pants
or something like that.
This woman, is she here in the courtroom?
Right over there.
Officer Harris.
[gallery murmuring]
So, you move toward the sink.
And next thing I know,
she pulled her gun and was waving it in my face.
And then, uh...
then she shot me.
MALIA: Now, Mr. Peterson,
after Officer Harris grabbed her gun but before she shot you,
isn't it true you grabbed the barrel of that gun?
I did.
Can you tell us why you did that?
I guess it was just instinct.
Seems like every time you turn on the news,
you hear about some unarmed black man
being shot by a white cop.
[gallery murmuring]
So when this white cop
was pointing her gun at me,
I knew.
I knew she was gonna shoot me.
So I grabbed the gun and tried to aim it away from me.
And thank God I did.
She only got me in the arm.
Who knows what she would've hit if I hadn't.
I could be dead.
Objection! Speculation.
Overruled.
We have no more questions at this time.
[clears throat]
So...
we've heard a lot about...
how much you had to drink the night of the shooting.
But I was wondering if you could also tell me about...
the illegal drugs you also ingested
that evening.
[gallery murmuring]
I'm sorry. I apologize.
Must be me. I didn't hear an answer.
I didn't offer one.
I don't have one.
I didn't take any drugs that evening.
I don't take drugs. Ever.
Oh, I'm sorry.
[exhales] Forgive me.
My mistake.
Ah.
I see what the problem is.
I must have gotten thrown off by this toxicity report.
Taken on the night of the shooting.
See, they took you to the hospital to stitch you up,
and they took some blood.
Remember?
Objection! I haven't seen any toxicity report.
Defense didn't produce it in discovery.
Again, I apologize.
I just got it from the state lab last night.
They've been backed up.
That notwithstanding, the plaintiff's counsel
had the same access to this report
as I did, Your Honor.
I'll allow it.
Thank you, Your Honor.
Now, according to this report,
you weren't just drunk, Mr. Peterson.
You were high on MDMA.
You know, MDMA?
Molly?
[scoffs]I need an answer, sir.
Is it still your testimony
that you didn't do any drugs that evening?
And let me remind you that you are still under oath.
No. I mean, yes.
I absolutely didn't take any drugs that night.
All I can think of is maybe somebody slipped something
in my drink, but I certainly wasn't aware of it.
So someone slipped Molly
in your drink while you were out celebrating
your Teacher of the Year award?
Objection. Argumentative.
Move it along, Mr. Colón.
Certainly, Your Honor, certainly.
Th-The night that you charged
into Officer Harris's bathroom...
that wasn't the first time
that you physically threatened a woman,
was it, Mr. Peterson?
I don't know what you're talking about.
Isn't it true that last year,
at this time, you used the evening hours
to work as a driver for a ridesharing company?
And isn't it true that a complaint was filed against you
by one of your passengers? A Ms. Veronica Hill?
Objection. Your Honor, relevance?
The plaintiff's counsel has gone to great lengths
to present the plaintiff as a model citizen.
An honored teacher who could do no wrong.
She opened the door to character, Your Honor.
Overruled.
BENNY: Thank you.
Now, let me refresh your memory, Mr. Peterson.
Isn't it true that Ms. Hill became
so uncomfortable with the aggressive,
sexual passes you made while you were her driver,
that she demanded you pull over three and a half miles
before she reached her destination?
She did ask me to pull over.
But I wasn't being aggressive.
It was really just a misunderstanding.
Oh, just a misunderstanding.
But didn't you chase her on foot after she exited your car?
I was trying to reason with her.
You were trying to reason with her while you were chasing her,
screaming at her,
threatening her.
I wasn't threatening her.
I just...
I just didn't want her to file a complaint.
I really needed that job.
You're a big guy, Mr. Peterson.
How big would you say Ms. Hill was?
Would you, would you say that-that she was
a... large woman?
Or would you call her average?
Or-or-or might you use the word "petite"?
Petite.
She was definitely petite.
Petite.
Got it.
No further questions, Your Honor.
Let's take a 15 minute break.
Nice work.
You know...
...for the first time, I think, uh,
we might actually have a shot at winning this thing.
I think so, too.
And I think the plaintiff's lawyer feels the same way,
which is why I would urge you to authorize me
to use our newfound leverage
to try again and broker a settlement.
Can you not feel the tension in the air?
I don't think there is a good ending for our city,
no matter which side wins.
Dr. Bull,
I hired you to clear
this officer's good name.
Why don't you worry about that and let me worry about the city?
When my client came through the door, what state of dress
or undress were you in?
I had unbuttoned my pants and I was pulling down my zipper.
You must have been terrified.
I was startled.
My first concern was for my gun.
It was on the sink and I needed to secure it.
So you weren't scared?
There wasn't time to be scared.
And besides, it didn't seem like he was coming for me.
It seemed like he was going for my gun.
And why would he be going for the gun?
And how would he have even known that the person
in the bathroom had a gun, much less put it on the sink?
That's a terrific question, and one I don't have an answer to,
except for the fact that I could only deal
with the information that was in front of me.
And the information directly in front of me
was that there was a man
someplace he wasn't supposed to be
and he seemed to be going for my gun.
So that drove your decision making?Absolutely.
It didn't occur to you that he might have been sick?
That he might have been going for the sink?
I had no way of knowing that.
He didn't look sick?
His head was down.
He stumbled, but...
Did he look drunk?
It was four steps between the door and the sink.
Did he look black?
[sighs]
He was black. He is black.
Isn't that why you grabbed for your gun?
No. That's ridiculous.
Without knowing what he wanted, why he was there,
you grabbed for your gun because a black man
was standing over you while you went to the toilet,
isn't that right?With all due respect,
I was grabbing that gun no matter who
was standing over me while I go to the toilet.
[scoffs] Did you struggle for the gun?
No. I got to it first.
I looked at the bodycam footage.
Didn't look to me like he was even going for the gun.
Is it possible that you were wrong?
Is it possible that h-he wasn't going for the gun?
You weren't there.
Did you think he had a gun?
It never crossed my mind.
My only concern was that he didn't take my gun.
So I'm confused.
If you had your gun, and you weren't thinking
about whether or not he had one,
then why were you pointing it at him at all?
Because...He was black?
No.
L-Look at the bodycam footage.
The second I had the gun, he was on me,
trying to take the gun from me.
Because you were pointing it at him.
Because he didn't want to get shot.
So the question is: why were you pointing it at him at all?
If all you wanted to do was secure it,
then why did you end up pointing it at my client?
Why did you end up shooting my client?
And isn't the answer because he's black?
Let's t-- let's take a break.
You okay?
I'm thinking this is, uh, about a tenth
of what you can expect to face on the stand
when Malia Ford questions you.
You can't let her bait you.
You can't let her anger you.
This is her technique. It's what she does.
She's famous for it.
You okay? Mm.
Great.
Let's go to court.
[crowd shouting]
TONYA [on video]: Halt! NYPD. Halt!
W-What are you doing?
Let go. Let go of the gun!
[groans]
CAL: Oh, my God, you shot me!
You really shot me. Oh.
TONYA: Precinct 55. Charlie to Cent...
Wow. That's quite a tape.
I'm sure you won't forget anything about that night
for years to come.
Burned in my memory.
So what color jacket was my client wearing?
Excuse me?
What color sports jacket?
Was it black?
Was it blue? Was it brown?
The witness will please answer.
MALIA: It's all right.
I withdraw the question.
But do you happen to recall
the color of his shirt?
I don't know.
Mm. White?
Mm.
Yellow?
Mmm.
It was a very light blue.
Mm.
Now how about his face?
Objection, Your Honor.
Counsel is...[alarm blares]
Ladies and gentlemen, we've received a bomb threat.
We're gonna need everyone to leave the courthouse right now.
CHUNK: According to the commissioner's office,
the bomb threat was specifically targeted to our courtroom.
Rather remarkable piece of timing, actually.
You took the words right out of my mouth.
That was not great in there.
You... you were not great in there.
I know.
She makes me nervous.
Well, maybe you want to come down with something?
So you don't have to continue today?
Boss. We got the all clear. Everyone's headed back in.
I'm fine.
Are you sure?
I'm fine.
MALIA: Now, where did we leave off? Oh, yes,
I was asking if you remember the color of Mr. Peterson's face.
It was black.
We all know it was black.
And it's your testimony that that did not contribute
in any way to your decision to shoot him?
Of course not.
So, then, logically, what you're really saying is,
no matter who walked in that room,
you were gonna react the same way.BENNY: Objection.
Counsel is testifying.
Overruled. You may answer the question.
Yes. No matter who came through the door,
I would have reacted the same.
An old woman?
Yes. I believe so.
You believe so?
What about a child?
A boy, a four-year-old boy?
Your Honor, these are all ridiculous hypotheticals.
The attorney is badgering the witness.
I sense the attorney is trying to make a point; I'll allow it,
but let's get to it sooner rather than later.
I was asking about a child.
A four-year-old boy, you'd still point your gun?
Of course not.
Then it's not true.
Despite your earlier testimony
that no matter who walked through the door,
you were gonna behave the same way.
For some people you point your gun,
for others, no. And, frankly,
I think that's good.
You're a professional.
You should apply critical thinking
to a decision like this.
So...
at what age do you start pointing your gun?
If a person's 12?BENNY: Objection!
JUDGE STALDER: The point, please.14?
It's a 20-year-old boy instead of a 38-year-old man,
you point your gun?
What if it's a 20-year-old black boy?
Come on. BENNY: Your Honor?
[sighs] You want the truth?
Well, that would be nice.
You always apply critical thinking
before you point your gun.
But where does that critical thinking come from?
Two places-- your training and your experience.
And I'm sorry. In my experience doing this job,
if I'm in a women's bathroom, and a man--
yes, a black man-- if a black man
walks into it at 2:00 in the morning, and moves for my gun...[gallery clamoring]
[gavel bangs]...I'm gonna get it first, and I'm gonna
point it at him, and anybody...[gavel banging]
...who does what I do for a living
and says any different is a liar!
[gallery clamoring]
I have no further questions, Your Honor.
I'm so sorry.
So, so sorry.
I can't believe I did that.
I just...
I cracked.
How bad is it?
For our case?
I'd say it's fairly catastrophic.
You want to tell me what the hell happened
in court today, Dr. Bull?
No big deal.
It's just, your totally innocent officer decided
to act on the stand like she was... totally guilty.
It happens all the...
Wait. Actually, it never happens.
Well, I'm glad you're so amused.
I've got reports that my officers are being attacked
all over the city, and right now,
I got a patrol car burning in front of One Police Plaza.
We told you what to do.
Yes, you did.
You win. I give up.
You were right, so, let's move to plan B, shall we?
Sit down and settle this thing.
Offer them whatever you have to,
but just do it quickly.
We'll start making calls.
[line ringing]
On second thought, let's not make any calls till morning.
What she said was indefensible.
I second that.
[sighs] Indefensible. Absolutely.
The thing is, I'm not sure I believe any of it.
What do you mean?
Well, in the car after court,
she was saying how sorry she was.
She was shaking her head the whole time,
and it's not an absolute,
but sometimes, that can indicate
a person doesn't believe what they're saying.
Well, wait. Why wouldn't she be sorry?
Her testimony basically torpedoed the city's whole case.
I don't know. It's just a feeling.
DANNY: Please.
She's a racist.
Uh, people show you one face
when they know you're looking, but the other one,
the real one--
it's always just peeking out just a little bit,
laughing at you for getting suckered by the mask.
If you say so.
It's not what I'm feeling.
Tomorrow?
Tomorrow. [clears throat]
Danny, you have a copy of that bodycam tape?
I want to give it another look.
Yeah, I'll send you the link.
One last thing.
Does anybody know where Cal Peterson ended up throwing up?
Well, he was sick.
So sick he had to go to the women's room.
But I don't recall hearing about where he threw up.
You're right. There was nothing about it
in the crime scene photos, nothing in the notes.
I get the feeling
we're not making any settlement calls any time soon.
I get the feeling we should order in.
[crowd shouting]
SCOTT: Gentlemen?
Where are we?
Why am I totally in the blind here?
Have we commenced settlement discussions yet?
We have not.I don't understand.
You want the good news or the bad news?Oh, come on.
I have finally come to believe
this case isn't about race at all,
and I think that is cause for celebration.
I'm not following you.
I think it's really about good old-fashioned American greed.
And isn't it great to know there exists
at least two people in this world who can finally
look past race or skin color or religious differences
long enough to try and rip off the City of New York
for a few million dollars?
Now, from your tox screen report,
we know that not only were you
legally intoxicated the night of the shooting,
but you were also high on Molly,
as well.
Mr. Peterson, I'm wondering
if you might have been high and drunk that night on purpose.
I'm sorry. I don't understand the question.
Well, I'm asking if perhaps you drank to excess
and took some MDMA in anticipation
of getting shot that night.
[gallery murmuring]
A little something to numb the pain.
Objection! Now counsel is making absurd assertions
in the hopes of confusing the jury
and obfuscating facts already in evidence.
Mr. Colón, I think
this courtroom has already seen enough drama.
I agree, Your Honor, but I promise if
you'll bear with me a moment longer,
I will substantiate my allegations.
Well, you'd better, or I will be holding you in contempt.
It's a simple question, Mr. Peterson.
Did you barge into that bathroom that night
knowing full well that you were going
to get shot by Officer Harris?
[scoffs]
Why would I want to get shot by a cop?
So we could all end up here,
with you suing the City of New York for $25 million.
[laughing] That's ridiculous.
Well, yes.
Unless of course, Officer Harris was in on it.
[gallery murmuring]
MALIA: Your Honor, do I even
need to cite an objection? This-this is outlandish![gavel bangs]
[gallery murmuring]
Yes, it is outlandish, Your Honor, but I can assure you
that I can prove that Cal Peterson and Tonya Harris
are not the strangers they've been pretending to be.
That, in fact,
they've been romantically involved for months now.
[gallery clamoring]
What the hell is he doing?
You people are supposed to be defending me. Hmm.
Technically, the City of New York is our client.
Since it seems you're trying to swindle the city,
I fear you and I have a serious conflict of interest.
[gavel banging]
Mr. Peterson, is this true?
Did you
plan this shooting with Officer Harris?
Absolutely not.
Look at the bodycam footage.
I'm wrestling her for the gun.
Were you?
That's funny, because the more I look at it,
the more it looks like you were holding the barrel of the gun
to make sure that the bullet went
into your arm and not your chest.
[gallery murmuring]But...
that could just be me.
While you're thinking about it, I'd like to enter
into evidence this certified business record
of a history of Cal Peterson's ridesharing customers.
And let the record reflect
that ten months ago,
he drove a Miss Tonya Harris.
Yeah. It's not surprising.
We all know he likes to use the ridesharing vehicle
as his personal dating app.
I drive hundreds of women, probably thousands.
[chuckles]
But in truth, I don'tremember driving that woman.
BENNY: Mr. Peterson,
would it surprise you to know that the...
front desk clerk at the Bridgecroft Motel in Astoria
remembers checking you in at least 23 times
in the last ten months?
No. It wouldn't surprise me.
My roommates can get loud.
Sometimes I rent a cheap room to grade papers,
prepare lesson plans. Alone.
[inhales sharply]
Are you aware
that there is video surveillance cameras in the hallways,
so the clerk can see if, say, Tonya Harris decided
to join you in your room?
I'd be happy to enter the video surveillance cameras
into evidence if you'd like.
Or perhaps I can just call Tonya Harris to the stand,
see what she has to say.
But...
you know, as a former prosecutor,
I should tell you that the person who confesses first
is usually the one who gets the lighter sentence.
You are still under oath, Officer Harris.
We were lying in bed one night at the Bridgecroft Motel,
and he turned to me, and he said...
"You know, darlin', I'd take a bullet for you."
And the idea just grew from there.
How many years you think they'll get?
Whatever it is, it's not long enough.
I'm not sure I ever made it clear, but...
I admire the hell out of you.
[chuckles softly]
[sighs]
Would you like to get a drink?
I would love to get a drink, but, uh...
[inhales sharply]
I'm sort of between drinks right now.
If that circumstance should ever change,
you can be sure that I will, uh...
I'll call you first.
Well, we don't have to drink.
Oh, trust me. If you're gonna be spending any time
with me at all, you are gonna need a drink.
I have that on good authority
from a great many women.[laughs]
Well, don't look now, but...
I just might call you.
Don't you threaten me, young lady.[laughs]
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