First Aired - March 30, 1967
Sergeant Joe Friday and Officer Bill Gannon are working in the Homicide Division. During a routine traffic stop, an officer is shot. Friday and Gannon are trying to find the driver and passenger, and learn they had robbed a liquor store down the street. However, the police officer cannot remember anything about the shooting event to help convict the two men.
Just the Tropes, ma'am:
- Armor-Piercing Response: A clerk tells Friday that whenever a cop is shot, the police come out in full force to protect one of their own. Friday responds that if the criminals have no issue shooting an armed cop, they would have no issue killing an unarmed civilian.Friday: Do you think they would hesitate to shoot an unarmed citizen?
- Batman Gambit: Nobody saw Officer Roberts get shot. Officer Roberts doesn't even remember anything about the shooting. Friday figures that Roger Kensington and Harry Johnson do not know that. When Officer Roberts appears in front of the two in full uniform, Harry confesses to the crime but pinning the blame on Roger.
- Cop Killer: The two suspects have no issues shooting a cop.
- The Informant: Virgil Hicks is Friday's informant. He only agrees to meet Joe on the 50 yard line at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which Joe finds ridiculous.
- Lethal Chef: Bill's wife cooked him New England Boiled Dinner the previous night. One thing she does is put curry powder in the dinner, something even Joe notes is very unusual. It gives Bill a bad stomach ache along with a headache.
- Laser-Guided Amnesia: Officer Dave Roberts doesn't remember anything about the shooting. In fact, he doesn't even know who the president is.
- Pillow Pistol: Virgil Hicks tells Friday that Roger Kensington sleeps with a sawed-off shotgun. When Friday and Gannon break into their apartment, Kensington is indeed sleeping with it.Friday: [brandishing a shotgun] Flinch, and you'll be chasing your head down Fifth Street!
- Super Identikit: Carl Wilson gives a detailed description of the two suspects. When the mug shots are pulled, they are almost a perfect match.
- Time Skip: The case skips ahead 6 months after Officer Roberts is shot then about 3 months to when Friday's informant calls him. Another 2 months happens between the suspects being identified and captured.
