This episode belongs to both Jerry Orbach and to guest star Kevin Conway who puts Briscoe in a real jackpot. Benjamin Bratt's sense of outrage helps a lot as well.
Both Briscoe and Curtis are put on a drug raid in the charge of Conway who is a veteran cop who has some history with Briscoe. During the course of a confrontation with a known drug dealer Conway pulls out his weapon and shoots him dead.
Cops are supposed to back each other up and Orbach accepts Conway's version, but Bratt will not say he saw something there he didn't see like the victim reaching for a weapon. When it turns out that Conway himself is corrupt and was doing an execution for a drug lord he in turn accuses Briscoe of past corruption.
Not to law enforcement though, to one of those citizen crime commissions headed by an arrogant, self righteous Josef Sommer. Sommer is great himself, he reminded me of John McIntire's character in The Asphalt Jungle.
But Conway who is a true snake is a wonder to watch in this story. Viewers know that Lennie Briscoe has his flaws, but is honest and we feel for Orbach and the jackpot he's put in by a really dirty cop and an arrogant citizen looking for headlines.
Both Briscoe and Curtis are put on a drug raid in the charge of Conway who is a veteran cop who has some history with Briscoe. During the course of a confrontation with a known drug dealer Conway pulls out his weapon and shoots him dead.
Cops are supposed to back each other up and Orbach accepts Conway's version, but Bratt will not say he saw something there he didn't see like the victim reaching for a weapon. When it turns out that Conway himself is corrupt and was doing an execution for a drug lord he in turn accuses Briscoe of past corruption.
Not to law enforcement though, to one of those citizen crime commissions headed by an arrogant, self righteous Josef Sommer. Sommer is great himself, he reminded me of John McIntire's character in The Asphalt Jungle.
But Conway who is a true snake is a wonder to watch in this story. Viewers know that Lennie Briscoe has his flaws, but is honest and we feel for Orbach and the jackpot he's put in by a really dirty cop and an arrogant citizen looking for headlines.