Nolan is pursuing a bank robber when he ends up being forced to kill him in self-defense. Contrary to the other shoot outs in the show so far, he is immediately relieved of his weapon and put under heavy investigation for the action. Nolan is grief-stricken by the action and it turns out even veteran cops like Sergeant Grey and Officer Bishop have never killed in the line of duty.
Meanwhile, the DA attempts to cut a deal with Braford's wife, Isabel, to serve as a CI in order to save her serious jail time. Chen takes Nolan home and they have sex before the brother of the shooting victim breaks into Nolan's house.
- A Real Man Is a Killer: Averted. Neither Grey nor Bishop have killed in their lengthy careers.
- Artistic License – Law: While the seriousness with which Nolan's actions are treated appropriately, questions of homicide charges are ridiculous given the victim was armed and in the process of committing a crime.
- Avenging the Villain: The brother of the man Nolan killed attempts to kill Nolan in return.
- Blatant Lies: Chen lies about whether or not Nolan has had any recent breakups.
- Gone Horribly Wrong: Isabel exposes herself as a snitch when she asks for a second brick of cocaine from her dealer. She's then kidnapped while the police are helpless to rescue her.
- Modesty Bedsheet: Chen and Nolan each have their own when shown post coital.
- Police Brutality: Nolan is investigated for whether or not his shooting was justified. The victim's brother accuses him of this.
- Sex for Solace: Nolan and Chen have post-breakup sex due to his attack.
- These Hands Have Killed: Nolan is shocked by the fact he's killed a fellow human being, even in self-defense.
