T.J. Hooker (1982) s03e21 Episode Script
Gang War
(dramatic theme music) (suspenseful music) - Peace! Between rival gangs.
(audience clapping) Has been the impossible dream since I grew up here.
And it's crucial to this neighborhood to regaining its self respect.
(audience clapping) - Miss Mendez, your concept of self respect in the barrio is very nice, but will it work? - I've made it work in other cities.
Thanks to Teresa, and her generous contribution of office space in her cantina, NAPA, N-A-P-A, Neighborhood Awareness and Positive Action, we now have a home.
(audience cheers) And thanks to funding from local merchants, we'll be paying young people for cleaning up the neighborhood.
(audience cheers) Giving them a sense of achievement as well as an honest dollar.
(audience cheers) - Was it the merchants who brought you back to our city? - No, it was a man you haven't met.
Police Sergeant T.
J.
Hooker.
- NAPA is Julie Mendez's program.
I just let a few people know about it.
- Hooker established Teresa's cantina as neutral ground between the territories of the two strongest gangs in the barrio, the Ochos and the Primos.
- Come on Julie, let's get this show on the road.
- Sgt Hooker's right.
It's time to get to work.
(audience cheers) Thank you all! (audience applauds) - Look at the faces of those kids.
Still innocent and vulnerable.
They come from good homes, proud parents, then some of them hit the streets, it's all downhill from there.
That's why Julie's here.
To give them the chance they need.
- See Julie, I told you it wasn't gonna work.
Getting the prez of the Ochos and the prez of the Primos together.
Me and my Ochos, we're here, where's Chuy? - Patience Luis, he'll be here, he promised.
- Patience! - If Chuy gave his word he'll be here.
I worked with him before.
And under his macho facade he's not a bad guy, smarter than most gang members.
- How about showing us what Teresa has set up for you, Julie? - Luis said his Ochos are willing to talk about a truce with your Primos.
- Maria, you know I don't like you talking to Luis or any of the Ochos.
- The line that separates the Ochos from the Primos is invisible to my mother and me.
We don't choose sides against our own people because they live on the wrong block.
They're still our people.
And they're yours, Chuy.
- When did you get so serious, girl? I'm on my way to your mother's cantina anyway.
- Remember, it has to look like the Ochos did it.
(dramatic music) - Come on, now hand it over.
Come on, you're not my hat rack.
Come on, come on.
- Chuy, what's wrong? - Come on, baby.
(tense music) (gun fires) - Oh, Chuy! (sobs) - These gangs need more help than ever.
They've been living under the territorial rights system for a long time.
- Thanks for the advice, Hooker, but I've been through it with every kind of street gang there is.
- Not as bad as this.
You know how deep the rivalries run here? And they've been festering for a long time.
- There have been a lot of minor flare-ups lately.
- Right now I feel the pressure building for an explosion.
- [Woman On Radio.]
4-Adam-30 and all units in the vicinity of 8th and Lincoln, shots fired, man down.
Suspect's driving a faded yellow Chevrolet, low-rider type.
- That kind of call's what you're up against down here.
(dramatic music) That's gotta be him.
(sirens sound) (fast tense music) - 4-Adam-30 in pursuit of '69 yellow Chevrolet Caprice.
License two six two charlie adam mary.
Northbound 8th, passing Penn.
- Coming our way, let's give Hooker and Romano a hand.
- 4-Adam-16, we're northbound seven, show us backing up 4-Adam-30.
(sirens sound) (brakes squeal) (sirens sound) (car honks, brakes squeal) (glass shattering) - All right, punk, outta there.
Outta there! Hands behind your neck.
(ominous music) (subdued music) - A through-and-through, stomach wound.
- Maria, did you see who did it? Was it them? - Hey Maria, what are they talking about, we didn't do nothing.
- You shot Chuy.
- Maria, tell him, we're Primos, we don't shoot our own.
- I don't know.
The ones in the car were wearing red bandanas.
- You hear that Luis, Ocho colors.
- Hooker, we had nothing to do with this.
They did it.
- Ain't you got ears man? Frankie and Angel are Primos, the shooters were wearing Ocho bandanas.
- You're on my turf, Primo pig! - All right, all right, hold it you guys.
Come one.
We'll find out who's responsible.
In the mean time let's not let this spoil our first peace efforts.
- You gotta be kidding, man.
I ain't meeting with no guy who shot the Primo prez.
- We didn't shoot nobody.
- Talking's the only way you're ever gonna end this kinda thing.
- I know how to put an end to it.
I'll get off your turf man, but when I come back I'll come back to skin you, ese.
- Dale, any time.
It ain't gonna work, lady.
Forget it.
- Well no one said it was gonna be easy.
- [Men.]
Three! Four! Five! Two, three, four! One two three four! One two three four! - Say anything, Hooker? - Yeah, a bunch of lies.
Like I got from his buddy, Angel.
They're guilty, I know it.
- I can't figure out why we couldn't find a weapon on them.
- They dump it off to a compadre, standard gang MO, partner.
- We got the car, they were in a yellow low-rider.
- Yellow low-rider? Do you know how many yellow low-riders there are in the barrio? We could never sell that to the court.
We book them for evading arrest-- - They'll be out on bail in a few hours.
- Now if those two Primos shot their own prez, what do you figure for a motive, some kind of power play? - Maybe to move in a new leader? - Could be.
I have a hunch it's tied to Julia's kick-off conference.
We gotta find out who's behind it.
We can't let Julia's program get stopped before it's started.
- Stacey and I have worked with some of those gang kids in the Department sports program.
Why don't we see what we can do to keep the lid on.
- Start Teresa's cantina.
- Maybe Julie can get a lead.
She's at the hospital with Chuy Vallestero right now.
- If she gets lucky I wanna be there.
Because right now we're sitting on a time bomb, and the countdown has started.
(suspenseful music) - Speak to Chuy? - I tried, he wouldn't listen.
- I pleaded with him, Hooker.
But he won't order the Primos to talk peace with the Ochos.
- Hooker, you know Chuy.
Why don't you talk to him.
- You talked me out of a barrio gang once.
Anyone who could pull that off might be able to budge Chuy.
- Well somebody has to.
- You put me in here, Hooker.
You brought in that Mendez lady with all her peace talk and I bought it.
Left myself unguarded.
And Maria too.
- That's the whole idea, Chuy, peace.
So you won't need any guards.
- You don't know how it is out there.
- Well I know that a war today will be far worse than 90 82 rumble.
Gangs are bigger.
More heavily armed.
A major battle will cost lives, lots of lives.
- Oh yeah? You tell it to the Ochos that tried to kill me.
- It wasn't the Ochos.
Two Primos gunned you down.
Frankie and Angel.
- No way man.
All Primos are blood brothers, each one of us takes a sacred oath.
Besides man, Angel and Frankie are loyal to me.
- Well think about it, Chuy, the right age for gang assassins, you know as well as I do that if they're found guilty all they'll do is serve some juvi time at a camp.
I'm telling you, somebody is using your people to make sure that Julie's program doesn't get started.
- I can't believe it.
- Give me a chance to prove it, and if I'm wrong, you'll have plenty of time to start shooting.
- I can't go crawling to those lousy Ochos.
- That's your pride talking.
Get past that.
You're one of the few leaders in the barrio who can make some change.
By using your gang as a positive force for talking instead of fighting.
- Primos ain't afraid to fight nobody.
- Stop acting so macho.
Serve your people.
Put an end to the cycle of killing.
Every time an Ocho kills a Primo, a Primo kills an Ocho.
Can't you see how stupid that is, can't you see that is has to be stopped by someone? Sometime? Why not you? Why not now? - Okay.
You go to the Primos, and you tell them that I want them to listen to what Julie Mendez has to say.
- I'll deliver your message.
You get well.
(Latino dance music) (people chatting in Spanish) - How is Chuy? - He's okay.
Your daughter's staying with him at the hospital.
- Poor Maria.
She lost her father in a gang shooting, and now Chuy is shot.
It's too much.
- Not for Marie, she's strong like you, Teresa.
She believes the barrio is a place to be proud of.
- And it can be.
- What do you hear, Teresa? - Noises about getting even.
You know what that means.
- Hooker, no go.
I been talking to Ochos and Primos all day, they're not about to sit down at the same table.
- Looks like you made a trip down here for nothing.
- Maybe not.
I'd like to make an announcement.
- Sure, come on.
Muchachos, listen up.
Sgt Hooker's got something to say.
- I've talked to Chuy Vallestero.
He's gonna be okay and he'll be outta the hospital soon too.
- Then we put in an Ocho to take his place.
- You try it and a Primo goes to the cemetery.
- Hey, take it easy guys, take it easy.
Chuy wanted me to deliver a message to the Primos.
He says to let Julie Mendez put her program into operation.
That leaves it up to the Ochos.
Let's see if you're as smart as the Primos.
- Let's kick it off with a meeting of the leaders tomorrow morning, nine o'clock, right here.
- What do you say, Luis? You'll speak with the Ochos? - Why not? - What about you, Manuel? Can I count on you being there in Chuy's place.
- I'll do whatever Chuy says.
- Okay.
- Hey hey! (they clap and cheer) When we get off duty, why don't we have a little celebration? - Why not? - I'd like that, but I have a lot to do before the meeting in the morning.
- Well maybe we can help you out.
- We can all jump in and help.
- Sure.
- I appreciate the offer, but it's my program.
- Well if your program works, you know how much easier our job will be? - Why don't you all just show up in the morning? - Frankie and Angel, where are they? - Who knows, man, they been celebrating on those nickel bags you gave them.
- Yeah well find them.
I want that Julie Mendez chick out of my life.
Forever.
- Can I speak to you for a moment? I don't like you being here alone.
- You have a short memory, Hooker.
You're talking to one of the toughest female gang soldiers ever to walk this barrio.
- Until you learned that you were smart enough to go to college.
Sit down.
- You know I still wonder if you had anything to do with me getting that scholarship.
- Well I didn't get the marks, you did.
I just wonder why you didn't take a cushy university job when you graduated.
- I feel I have to put something back into the environment that made me.
But don't worry, I've worked with gangs in a lot of cities.
- I really think someone ought to stay with you.
- I want the kids here to trust me.
For that they have to know I trust them.
With blue-suited bodyguards around, it'll never happen.
- You're dedicated to your job and I respect that, but I got a job to do too.
To protect people.
- (she laughs) Still the white knight, huh? - Isn't there any way I can convince you.
- I'll be okay, really.
(ominous music) (gun fires) - All I heard was one shot.
- Yeah, that's all it took.
- Okay, split.
(subdued music) - Hooker.
What's the word on Julie? - She's in intensive care.
Doctors spent most of the night digging a bullet out of her abdomen.
- Did you talk to her? - I got her before they wheeled her into OR.
She managed to get out a few words.
She said it was the Primos who shot her.
- Primos? Did she recognize any faces? - She only knows the leaders, she hasn't been back long enough to know all the gang members.
I should never have left her alone.
- You can't blame yourself for what happened to Julie.
- If Julie doesn't make it.
- Come on, Hooker, she's a survivor.
- What are you doing here? - Easy, partner.
- You got business here, get on with it or get out.
- Hey lay off cop, or I'll turn you for bugging me.
(they laugh) - You know we got rights, you know.
- Come on man, we're just here to see Chuy, you know.
- Well then go see him, before I bust you for contaminating a hospital.
(man laughs) They could be the ones, Romano.
I told you Julie said it was Primos.
- But if Frankie and Angel were trying to stop Julie Mendez's program and they shot Chuy, and they wore bandanas to put the blame on the Ochos, why didn't they do the same when they hit her? - They didn't have to.
If Julie dies the program dies with her.
- Hooker, you have got to cool down.
- Not till I prove that Frankie and Angel did this to her.
(dramatic music) - [Woman On Radio.]
4-Adam-30 regarding information requested on Frankie Alarcon and Angel Uriarte.
Juvenile records show they're character witness at several hearing was one Julio Fuente.
- 4-Adam-30 roger.
- Fuente, isn't that the name of the guy you said was sitting with Manuel at the cantina last night.
- He's suspected of selling drugs and guns.
He hasn't been nailed yet because he uses teenage gang members to do his dirty work.
- Well that's what he could be doing now.
- Let's find out.
(men laughing) - Man, as always, Manuel, you get 10% of my action.
- Easy money, man.
These new 45s, the guys will go ape over them.
- Look, all we need is a war.
Get outta here, get outta here.
Get up those steps.
- Nice car, Fuente.
Yours? - Yeah.
- Your taste in clothes has gone uptown.
These studs real or phony like you? - Hey come on, you know me Hooker.
I'm the genuine article.
- Business must be good.
- Yeah, a lot of people are buying hubcaps, if that's what you mean.
- No what my partner means is guns and dope.
When things heat up on the streets, you get rich.
- Aw, come on, Hooker, get off my back.
I don't wanna no trouble.
- You thrive on trouble.
It feeds you the customers for the guns you peddle.
And the kids need money for the weapons, and they hustle dope for you.
(he laughs) - You got it all figured out, don't you Hooker? Well it's too bad you don't have any proof.
- Well maybe we can find some.
- Hey! Hey man, are you loco? I think you better talk to your buddy here about police brutality.
- You put a hand on a police officer, he has a right to defend himself.
- 'Cause he ain't got no right to come in here without a search warrant.
- What's the matter, Fuente? Got something to hide? - No, I think maybe you're violating my rights just by asking.
- I want you to pass the word.
Julie Mendez may be out of commission, but her program isn't.
I'm gonna start it and run it until she's out.
(Latino music on radio) - Come on, Julie Mendez ain't dead and Hooker's taking over? Come on, no way.
- He's got Chuy in his pocket.
And Luis will bring his sniveling little Ochos begging for a truce.
It's over.
- I got one more card to play.
- What's that? - The queen, Maria.
- You crazy, man? That's Chuy's girl.
I ain't gonna touch her, forget it, man.
- Hey man, you're gonna do what I tell you to do.
I still got the gun that shot Chuy and Julie Mendez.
- Hey, I didn't shoot nobody.
- Yeah? Well your fingerprints are all over that gun.
How about I just hand it over to the cops, huh? - No.
No man, you wouldn't.
- Look, we gotta make Chuy think that it was the Ochos who grabbed her man.
Okay? All right.
We pick her up tomorrow before the meeting.
Early.
- [Romano.]
Well, we've been out all night.
They could be hiding in a million places.
- No reason for Frankie and Angel to hide, they don't know that we matched Chuy's bullet with Julie's shooting.
They probably think she's dead.
And she could be.
I want those kids, bad.
- We'll get 'em, Hooker.
- Thing is, I know they're just pawns, carrying out Fuente's orders.
That's who turned them into murderers.
- [woman On Radio.]
4-Adam-30, switch to Tac 2 for 4-Adam-16.
- 4-Adam-30 roger.
This is 30, go 16.
- Got a tip our suspects could be in a rolling shooting gallery, an old paneled truck.
- Give us the description of the truck.
- We have them in sight right now.
A blue and white '71 Ford northbound on Fountain.
- Stay with 'em.
We're at Alden and Sixth.
(sirens sound) (dramatic music) (horn honks) - Frankie and Angel, were they with you? Were they with you? - Take it easy, Hooker.
- Yeah man.
- Which way did they go? Tell me, or so help me you won't live long enough to be tried as an adult.
- Over there, man.
(tense music) - That one's yours.
That's mine.
- On your knees, hands on your head.
(tense music) (they grunt) - Oh, what are you doing? What are you doing? Pull me back! - Who sent you to kill Julie Mendez? - Please don't hurt me.
- Tell me! Tell me now! - [Romano.]
Hooker, don't do it! Don't.
Don't do it! - You're crazy, man, you're sick.
- Sick? You think this is sick? When I get through with you, you'll feel like a walking plague.
Now move it! (calm music) Julie.
Julie.
I need a positive ID.
Can you manage it? (she sighs) - It was them, they did it.
They shot me.
- Thank you.
Get some rest.
- I heard you brought my boys here.
- Frankie and Angel shot Julie, and they shot you too.
- I told you they were gonna say that.
He's a crummy liar.
- Ballistic results prove that the same gun was used in both shootings.
And Julie made a positive ID.
- They are Primos, Hooker.
Primos don't shoot Primos.
- This time they did.
Accept it, Chuy.
- And somebody, probably in your own gang, had to turn them into shooters.
Somebody who wants you to think they were Ochos, wants you to go for revenge.
- I'm listening.
- How about Julio Fuente.
He'd get fat on a war.
- Fuente's an ex-Primo, he's loyal to the gang.
You ought to go after Luis Molina, he is a psycho nut.
He wants war with the Primos no matter what it takes.
- We have a feeling you'd like it to seem that way, Manuel.
(he laughs) - Me, you gotta be kidding.
I'm the number two Primo.
- You keep bad company, Manuel.
We saw you at Teresa's cantina sitting with Fuente.
You showed up here at the hospital with Frankie.
Think about it Chuy.
Oh, Manuel.
There's a NAPA meeting this afternoon at the cantina.
If you don't show, I'll make sure that everyone knows that you want war and are probably involved in the shooting.
And Chuy, you get back to bed.
The sooner you get well, the better the chances are that the Primos stay out of trouble.
(tense music) (jarring chords) - [Woman On Radio.]
4-Adam-30, 4-Adam-30, a 415 in progress at the restaurant, Teresa's cantina, Fourth and Commerce.
4-Adam-30 handle code three.
- 4-Adam-30 roger.
(siren sounds) - Hooker, it's Maria, somebody beat her up.
- Hold it, hold it.
Break it up! - Break it up, come on! - Break it up.
- Get back.
- Back up.
- Do it man.
- Come on.
This is supposed to be a peace conference.
- Did you see what they did to Chuy's girl? Cut her hair, disgraced her.
There ain't gonna be no peace now.
And that's the way Chuy'll want it! - Hey you, outta here! - You better watch where you go, man.
You step on Ocho territory and I cut it off.
- You, and you, out! Get them outta here in one piece, come on.
- Move, out! - Get out! - Get going, move! - Look, Ochos, see what they've done to my daughter.
All the work, all the trying to reason, it's all for nothing now.
There'll be a war for sure.
- Nothing's for sure.
We've just gotta keep on trying.
- I can't, Hooker.
I'm going to take my little girl away from these streets.
A gang war took my husband one week after Maria was born.
I'm not going to let another war take her.
(suspenseful music) - Fuente.
I'm gonna show this shirt stud to Chuy.
It's not enough to bust Fuente.
Maybe Chuy will get the message before all hell breaks loose.
(suspenseful music) - Chuy, what are you doing? - The Ochos.
They hurt Maria.
Shamed her.
Primos are going to kill every stinking Ocho, and I'm drawing first blood.
- No Chuy, give Hooker time to find out who did it.
All the Ochos can't be responsible.
- One Ocho, all the Ochos.
Don't you see, it makes no difference! - Hey, what are you doing? - Chuy is gone, went to lead his gang, I've heard nothing will stop him now.
- Luisito, don't be a fool.
Call Sgt Hooker and help him find the truth.
It's stupid to fight over Manuel's failing words.
- Teresa, the Primos are gonna keep spitting on us till we make them respect us like they used to.
And we're gonna do it.
They first get respect shoved down their throats.
- No Luisito, no! Boys will die, boys that are innocent.
Luisito! - Vamonos.
We're gonna get us some Primo scalps.
Sale! - Look at it.
It was given to me when I was leader of the Primos.
Promise me that you'll use it to avenge what was done to Maria.
- I will.
I swear it.
Don't you want a piece of the Ochos too? - Hey this is your war.
Lead the Primos with courage.
- Judge Powell sure hustled out that search warrant.
- We gotta get Fuente put away fast, before he unloads his artillery.
Warrant.
Fuente.
Fuente.
If I was Fuente I wouldn't leave anything incriminating around.
- Fuente deals in guns and smack and he does it from here.
There's gotta be something.
Once the first kid is hurt, there'll be no going back.
- We don't even know where the gangs are lined up to kick it off.
- Let's hope that Stacy and Corrigan come up with a lead.
Look at this.
Well, Fuente tried.
He was always wiping his hands, but he never was clean.
And never will be.
- [Woman On Radio.]
4-Adam-30, meet 4-Adam-16 on Tac 2.
- 4-Adam-30 roger.
- Hooker, just talked to Teresa.
She said Luis said something about before 82, a place where the Ochos were respected.
- Could be the River Street Wash.
They used to race there, the Ochos always won.
We're on our way, meet us there.
(tense music) - Chuy! Chuy don't! Please.
Chuy, stop please.
- Go home Maria.
This is no place for you to be.
- Get her out of here Chuy, she's caused enough trouble as it is.
- He makes the trouble.
He makes the war, Chuy.
- The Ochos spit in my face when they shame you like this.
I can't let that be.
Now go home.
Go home.
- All right, hold it.
Get back to your own turf.
I said hold it.
(men shout) Get back there.
We found the gun that shot Chuy.
Same gun that shot Julie Mendez.
And the first fingerprints we're gonna try and match with those on the gun are yours, Manuel.
We found these, with the gun.
They were worn by the shooters, Frankie and Angel, so they would look like Ochos.
- They tried to frame us.
- Not they, one man.
One man who comes in on top no matter who wins this war.
- Hey, don't listen to him.
You saw what they did to Chuy's girl.
- It wasn't the Ochos that attacked maria.
- That's right.
- Who was it? I want him myself.
- Listen to me, Chuy.
Who wants things just as they are? Who would lose if there was peace on the streets.
Where did you get the guns that you're carrying? - Julio Fuente.
- When Maria was attacked she ripped this off of Fuente's shirt.
Your enemy isn't Luis and the Ochos.
It's that man there.
(suspenseful music) (sirens sound) (dramatic rock music) (cars crunching together) (cars crunching together) (cars crunching together) - You're through in the barrio, Fuente.
Julie and the kids, they win.
You lose.
(calm music) - Not bad for starters.
- Now that NAPA is an official city commission, shouldn't you have a real office in a real office building? - Could have, but I wanted to be on the street with the people the commission's supposed to help.
- I like it.
- I like the way you got Luis to personally deliver Chuy's letter to the Mayor, help make this official.
- A little loving went a long way.
- You two find Chuy and Maria? - Oh sure did.
Just in the nick of time, they were about to run off and get married.
- I think I convinced her to wait until she finished school.
- Listen Julie, we're gonna help you get settled in here, and this time we won't take no for an answer.
- If you insist.
- Julie, this picture.
Why? - Well you caught me, I guess I have to admit it.
I used to have a crush on you.
- What do you mean used to? - Who knows, maybe the sparks could be rekindled.
If they were fanned.
(romantic music) - Hey partner, end of watch.
What do you say we go to that new pizza joint on Market? - Sorry I'm busy.
I got some heavy fanning to do.
(dramatic theme music)
(audience clapping) Has been the impossible dream since I grew up here.
And it's crucial to this neighborhood to regaining its self respect.
(audience clapping) - Miss Mendez, your concept of self respect in the barrio is very nice, but will it work? - I've made it work in other cities.
Thanks to Teresa, and her generous contribution of office space in her cantina, NAPA, N-A-P-A, Neighborhood Awareness and Positive Action, we now have a home.
(audience cheers) And thanks to funding from local merchants, we'll be paying young people for cleaning up the neighborhood.
(audience cheers) Giving them a sense of achievement as well as an honest dollar.
(audience cheers) - Was it the merchants who brought you back to our city? - No, it was a man you haven't met.
Police Sergeant T.
J.
Hooker.
- NAPA is Julie Mendez's program.
I just let a few people know about it.
- Hooker established Teresa's cantina as neutral ground between the territories of the two strongest gangs in the barrio, the Ochos and the Primos.
- Come on Julie, let's get this show on the road.
- Sgt Hooker's right.
It's time to get to work.
(audience cheers) Thank you all! (audience applauds) - Look at the faces of those kids.
Still innocent and vulnerable.
They come from good homes, proud parents, then some of them hit the streets, it's all downhill from there.
That's why Julie's here.
To give them the chance they need.
- See Julie, I told you it wasn't gonna work.
Getting the prez of the Ochos and the prez of the Primos together.
Me and my Ochos, we're here, where's Chuy? - Patience Luis, he'll be here, he promised.
- Patience! - If Chuy gave his word he'll be here.
I worked with him before.
And under his macho facade he's not a bad guy, smarter than most gang members.
- How about showing us what Teresa has set up for you, Julie? - Luis said his Ochos are willing to talk about a truce with your Primos.
- Maria, you know I don't like you talking to Luis or any of the Ochos.
- The line that separates the Ochos from the Primos is invisible to my mother and me.
We don't choose sides against our own people because they live on the wrong block.
They're still our people.
And they're yours, Chuy.
- When did you get so serious, girl? I'm on my way to your mother's cantina anyway.
- Remember, it has to look like the Ochos did it.
(dramatic music) - Come on, now hand it over.
Come on, you're not my hat rack.
Come on, come on.
- Chuy, what's wrong? - Come on, baby.
(tense music) (gun fires) - Oh, Chuy! (sobs) - These gangs need more help than ever.
They've been living under the territorial rights system for a long time.
- Thanks for the advice, Hooker, but I've been through it with every kind of street gang there is.
- Not as bad as this.
You know how deep the rivalries run here? And they've been festering for a long time.
- There have been a lot of minor flare-ups lately.
- Right now I feel the pressure building for an explosion.
- [Woman On Radio.]
4-Adam-30 and all units in the vicinity of 8th and Lincoln, shots fired, man down.
Suspect's driving a faded yellow Chevrolet, low-rider type.
- That kind of call's what you're up against down here.
(dramatic music) That's gotta be him.
(sirens sound) (fast tense music) - 4-Adam-30 in pursuit of '69 yellow Chevrolet Caprice.
License two six two charlie adam mary.
Northbound 8th, passing Penn.
- Coming our way, let's give Hooker and Romano a hand.
- 4-Adam-16, we're northbound seven, show us backing up 4-Adam-30.
(sirens sound) (brakes squeal) (sirens sound) (car honks, brakes squeal) (glass shattering) - All right, punk, outta there.
Outta there! Hands behind your neck.
(ominous music) (subdued music) - A through-and-through, stomach wound.
- Maria, did you see who did it? Was it them? - Hey Maria, what are they talking about, we didn't do nothing.
- You shot Chuy.
- Maria, tell him, we're Primos, we don't shoot our own.
- I don't know.
The ones in the car were wearing red bandanas.
- You hear that Luis, Ocho colors.
- Hooker, we had nothing to do with this.
They did it.
- Ain't you got ears man? Frankie and Angel are Primos, the shooters were wearing Ocho bandanas.
- You're on my turf, Primo pig! - All right, all right, hold it you guys.
Come one.
We'll find out who's responsible.
In the mean time let's not let this spoil our first peace efforts.
- You gotta be kidding, man.
I ain't meeting with no guy who shot the Primo prez.
- We didn't shoot nobody.
- Talking's the only way you're ever gonna end this kinda thing.
- I know how to put an end to it.
I'll get off your turf man, but when I come back I'll come back to skin you, ese.
- Dale, any time.
It ain't gonna work, lady.
Forget it.
- Well no one said it was gonna be easy.
- [Men.]
Three! Four! Five! Two, three, four! One two three four! One two three four! - Say anything, Hooker? - Yeah, a bunch of lies.
Like I got from his buddy, Angel.
They're guilty, I know it.
- I can't figure out why we couldn't find a weapon on them.
- They dump it off to a compadre, standard gang MO, partner.
- We got the car, they were in a yellow low-rider.
- Yellow low-rider? Do you know how many yellow low-riders there are in the barrio? We could never sell that to the court.
We book them for evading arrest-- - They'll be out on bail in a few hours.
- Now if those two Primos shot their own prez, what do you figure for a motive, some kind of power play? - Maybe to move in a new leader? - Could be.
I have a hunch it's tied to Julia's kick-off conference.
We gotta find out who's behind it.
We can't let Julia's program get stopped before it's started.
- Stacey and I have worked with some of those gang kids in the Department sports program.
Why don't we see what we can do to keep the lid on.
- Start Teresa's cantina.
- Maybe Julie can get a lead.
She's at the hospital with Chuy Vallestero right now.
- If she gets lucky I wanna be there.
Because right now we're sitting on a time bomb, and the countdown has started.
(suspenseful music) - Speak to Chuy? - I tried, he wouldn't listen.
- I pleaded with him, Hooker.
But he won't order the Primos to talk peace with the Ochos.
- Hooker, you know Chuy.
Why don't you talk to him.
- You talked me out of a barrio gang once.
Anyone who could pull that off might be able to budge Chuy.
- Well somebody has to.
- You put me in here, Hooker.
You brought in that Mendez lady with all her peace talk and I bought it.
Left myself unguarded.
And Maria too.
- That's the whole idea, Chuy, peace.
So you won't need any guards.
- You don't know how it is out there.
- Well I know that a war today will be far worse than 90 82 rumble.
Gangs are bigger.
More heavily armed.
A major battle will cost lives, lots of lives.
- Oh yeah? You tell it to the Ochos that tried to kill me.
- It wasn't the Ochos.
Two Primos gunned you down.
Frankie and Angel.
- No way man.
All Primos are blood brothers, each one of us takes a sacred oath.
Besides man, Angel and Frankie are loyal to me.
- Well think about it, Chuy, the right age for gang assassins, you know as well as I do that if they're found guilty all they'll do is serve some juvi time at a camp.
I'm telling you, somebody is using your people to make sure that Julie's program doesn't get started.
- I can't believe it.
- Give me a chance to prove it, and if I'm wrong, you'll have plenty of time to start shooting.
- I can't go crawling to those lousy Ochos.
- That's your pride talking.
Get past that.
You're one of the few leaders in the barrio who can make some change.
By using your gang as a positive force for talking instead of fighting.
- Primos ain't afraid to fight nobody.
- Stop acting so macho.
Serve your people.
Put an end to the cycle of killing.
Every time an Ocho kills a Primo, a Primo kills an Ocho.
Can't you see how stupid that is, can't you see that is has to be stopped by someone? Sometime? Why not you? Why not now? - Okay.
You go to the Primos, and you tell them that I want them to listen to what Julie Mendez has to say.
- I'll deliver your message.
You get well.
(Latino dance music) (people chatting in Spanish) - How is Chuy? - He's okay.
Your daughter's staying with him at the hospital.
- Poor Maria.
She lost her father in a gang shooting, and now Chuy is shot.
It's too much.
- Not for Marie, she's strong like you, Teresa.
She believes the barrio is a place to be proud of.
- And it can be.
- What do you hear, Teresa? - Noises about getting even.
You know what that means.
- Hooker, no go.
I been talking to Ochos and Primos all day, they're not about to sit down at the same table.
- Looks like you made a trip down here for nothing.
- Maybe not.
I'd like to make an announcement.
- Sure, come on.
Muchachos, listen up.
Sgt Hooker's got something to say.
- I've talked to Chuy Vallestero.
He's gonna be okay and he'll be outta the hospital soon too.
- Then we put in an Ocho to take his place.
- You try it and a Primo goes to the cemetery.
- Hey, take it easy guys, take it easy.
Chuy wanted me to deliver a message to the Primos.
He says to let Julie Mendez put her program into operation.
That leaves it up to the Ochos.
Let's see if you're as smart as the Primos.
- Let's kick it off with a meeting of the leaders tomorrow morning, nine o'clock, right here.
- What do you say, Luis? You'll speak with the Ochos? - Why not? - What about you, Manuel? Can I count on you being there in Chuy's place.
- I'll do whatever Chuy says.
- Okay.
- Hey hey! (they clap and cheer) When we get off duty, why don't we have a little celebration? - Why not? - I'd like that, but I have a lot to do before the meeting in the morning.
- Well maybe we can help you out.
- We can all jump in and help.
- Sure.
- I appreciate the offer, but it's my program.
- Well if your program works, you know how much easier our job will be? - Why don't you all just show up in the morning? - Frankie and Angel, where are they? - Who knows, man, they been celebrating on those nickel bags you gave them.
- Yeah well find them.
I want that Julie Mendez chick out of my life.
Forever.
- Can I speak to you for a moment? I don't like you being here alone.
- You have a short memory, Hooker.
You're talking to one of the toughest female gang soldiers ever to walk this barrio.
- Until you learned that you were smart enough to go to college.
Sit down.
- You know I still wonder if you had anything to do with me getting that scholarship.
- Well I didn't get the marks, you did.
I just wonder why you didn't take a cushy university job when you graduated.
- I feel I have to put something back into the environment that made me.
But don't worry, I've worked with gangs in a lot of cities.
- I really think someone ought to stay with you.
- I want the kids here to trust me.
For that they have to know I trust them.
With blue-suited bodyguards around, it'll never happen.
- You're dedicated to your job and I respect that, but I got a job to do too.
To protect people.
- (she laughs) Still the white knight, huh? - Isn't there any way I can convince you.
- I'll be okay, really.
(ominous music) (gun fires) - All I heard was one shot.
- Yeah, that's all it took.
- Okay, split.
(subdued music) - Hooker.
What's the word on Julie? - She's in intensive care.
Doctors spent most of the night digging a bullet out of her abdomen.
- Did you talk to her? - I got her before they wheeled her into OR.
She managed to get out a few words.
She said it was the Primos who shot her.
- Primos? Did she recognize any faces? - She only knows the leaders, she hasn't been back long enough to know all the gang members.
I should never have left her alone.
- You can't blame yourself for what happened to Julie.
- If Julie doesn't make it.
- Come on, Hooker, she's a survivor.
- What are you doing here? - Easy, partner.
- You got business here, get on with it or get out.
- Hey lay off cop, or I'll turn you for bugging me.
(they laugh) - You know we got rights, you know.
- Come on man, we're just here to see Chuy, you know.
- Well then go see him, before I bust you for contaminating a hospital.
(man laughs) They could be the ones, Romano.
I told you Julie said it was Primos.
- But if Frankie and Angel were trying to stop Julie Mendez's program and they shot Chuy, and they wore bandanas to put the blame on the Ochos, why didn't they do the same when they hit her? - They didn't have to.
If Julie dies the program dies with her.
- Hooker, you have got to cool down.
- Not till I prove that Frankie and Angel did this to her.
(dramatic music) - [Woman On Radio.]
4-Adam-30 regarding information requested on Frankie Alarcon and Angel Uriarte.
Juvenile records show they're character witness at several hearing was one Julio Fuente.
- 4-Adam-30 roger.
- Fuente, isn't that the name of the guy you said was sitting with Manuel at the cantina last night.
- He's suspected of selling drugs and guns.
He hasn't been nailed yet because he uses teenage gang members to do his dirty work.
- Well that's what he could be doing now.
- Let's find out.
(men laughing) - Man, as always, Manuel, you get 10% of my action.
- Easy money, man.
These new 45s, the guys will go ape over them.
- Look, all we need is a war.
Get outta here, get outta here.
Get up those steps.
- Nice car, Fuente.
Yours? - Yeah.
- Your taste in clothes has gone uptown.
These studs real or phony like you? - Hey come on, you know me Hooker.
I'm the genuine article.
- Business must be good.
- Yeah, a lot of people are buying hubcaps, if that's what you mean.
- No what my partner means is guns and dope.
When things heat up on the streets, you get rich.
- Aw, come on, Hooker, get off my back.
I don't wanna no trouble.
- You thrive on trouble.
It feeds you the customers for the guns you peddle.
And the kids need money for the weapons, and they hustle dope for you.
(he laughs) - You got it all figured out, don't you Hooker? Well it's too bad you don't have any proof.
- Well maybe we can find some.
- Hey! Hey man, are you loco? I think you better talk to your buddy here about police brutality.
- You put a hand on a police officer, he has a right to defend himself.
- 'Cause he ain't got no right to come in here without a search warrant.
- What's the matter, Fuente? Got something to hide? - No, I think maybe you're violating my rights just by asking.
- I want you to pass the word.
Julie Mendez may be out of commission, but her program isn't.
I'm gonna start it and run it until she's out.
(Latino music on radio) - Come on, Julie Mendez ain't dead and Hooker's taking over? Come on, no way.
- He's got Chuy in his pocket.
And Luis will bring his sniveling little Ochos begging for a truce.
It's over.
- I got one more card to play.
- What's that? - The queen, Maria.
- You crazy, man? That's Chuy's girl.
I ain't gonna touch her, forget it, man.
- Hey man, you're gonna do what I tell you to do.
I still got the gun that shot Chuy and Julie Mendez.
- Hey, I didn't shoot nobody.
- Yeah? Well your fingerprints are all over that gun.
How about I just hand it over to the cops, huh? - No.
No man, you wouldn't.
- Look, we gotta make Chuy think that it was the Ochos who grabbed her man.
Okay? All right.
We pick her up tomorrow before the meeting.
Early.
- [Romano.]
Well, we've been out all night.
They could be hiding in a million places.
- No reason for Frankie and Angel to hide, they don't know that we matched Chuy's bullet with Julie's shooting.
They probably think she's dead.
And she could be.
I want those kids, bad.
- We'll get 'em, Hooker.
- Thing is, I know they're just pawns, carrying out Fuente's orders.
That's who turned them into murderers.
- [woman On Radio.]
4-Adam-30, switch to Tac 2 for 4-Adam-16.
- 4-Adam-30 roger.
This is 30, go 16.
- Got a tip our suspects could be in a rolling shooting gallery, an old paneled truck.
- Give us the description of the truck.
- We have them in sight right now.
A blue and white '71 Ford northbound on Fountain.
- Stay with 'em.
We're at Alden and Sixth.
(sirens sound) (dramatic music) (horn honks) - Frankie and Angel, were they with you? Were they with you? - Take it easy, Hooker.
- Yeah man.
- Which way did they go? Tell me, or so help me you won't live long enough to be tried as an adult.
- Over there, man.
(tense music) - That one's yours.
That's mine.
- On your knees, hands on your head.
(tense music) (they grunt) - Oh, what are you doing? What are you doing? Pull me back! - Who sent you to kill Julie Mendez? - Please don't hurt me.
- Tell me! Tell me now! - [Romano.]
Hooker, don't do it! Don't.
Don't do it! - You're crazy, man, you're sick.
- Sick? You think this is sick? When I get through with you, you'll feel like a walking plague.
Now move it! (calm music) Julie.
Julie.
I need a positive ID.
Can you manage it? (she sighs) - It was them, they did it.
They shot me.
- Thank you.
Get some rest.
- I heard you brought my boys here.
- Frankie and Angel shot Julie, and they shot you too.
- I told you they were gonna say that.
He's a crummy liar.
- Ballistic results prove that the same gun was used in both shootings.
And Julie made a positive ID.
- They are Primos, Hooker.
Primos don't shoot Primos.
- This time they did.
Accept it, Chuy.
- And somebody, probably in your own gang, had to turn them into shooters.
Somebody who wants you to think they were Ochos, wants you to go for revenge.
- I'm listening.
- How about Julio Fuente.
He'd get fat on a war.
- Fuente's an ex-Primo, he's loyal to the gang.
You ought to go after Luis Molina, he is a psycho nut.
He wants war with the Primos no matter what it takes.
- We have a feeling you'd like it to seem that way, Manuel.
(he laughs) - Me, you gotta be kidding.
I'm the number two Primo.
- You keep bad company, Manuel.
We saw you at Teresa's cantina sitting with Fuente.
You showed up here at the hospital with Frankie.
Think about it Chuy.
Oh, Manuel.
There's a NAPA meeting this afternoon at the cantina.
If you don't show, I'll make sure that everyone knows that you want war and are probably involved in the shooting.
And Chuy, you get back to bed.
The sooner you get well, the better the chances are that the Primos stay out of trouble.
(tense music) (jarring chords) - [Woman On Radio.]
4-Adam-30, 4-Adam-30, a 415 in progress at the restaurant, Teresa's cantina, Fourth and Commerce.
4-Adam-30 handle code three.
- 4-Adam-30 roger.
(siren sounds) - Hooker, it's Maria, somebody beat her up.
- Hold it, hold it.
Break it up! - Break it up, come on! - Break it up.
- Get back.
- Back up.
- Do it man.
- Come on.
This is supposed to be a peace conference.
- Did you see what they did to Chuy's girl? Cut her hair, disgraced her.
There ain't gonna be no peace now.
And that's the way Chuy'll want it! - Hey you, outta here! - You better watch where you go, man.
You step on Ocho territory and I cut it off.
- You, and you, out! Get them outta here in one piece, come on.
- Move, out! - Get out! - Get going, move! - Look, Ochos, see what they've done to my daughter.
All the work, all the trying to reason, it's all for nothing now.
There'll be a war for sure.
- Nothing's for sure.
We've just gotta keep on trying.
- I can't, Hooker.
I'm going to take my little girl away from these streets.
A gang war took my husband one week after Maria was born.
I'm not going to let another war take her.
(suspenseful music) - Fuente.
I'm gonna show this shirt stud to Chuy.
It's not enough to bust Fuente.
Maybe Chuy will get the message before all hell breaks loose.
(suspenseful music) - Chuy, what are you doing? - The Ochos.
They hurt Maria.
Shamed her.
Primos are going to kill every stinking Ocho, and I'm drawing first blood.
- No Chuy, give Hooker time to find out who did it.
All the Ochos can't be responsible.
- One Ocho, all the Ochos.
Don't you see, it makes no difference! - Hey, what are you doing? - Chuy is gone, went to lead his gang, I've heard nothing will stop him now.
- Luisito, don't be a fool.
Call Sgt Hooker and help him find the truth.
It's stupid to fight over Manuel's failing words.
- Teresa, the Primos are gonna keep spitting on us till we make them respect us like they used to.
And we're gonna do it.
They first get respect shoved down their throats.
- No Luisito, no! Boys will die, boys that are innocent.
Luisito! - Vamonos.
We're gonna get us some Primo scalps.
Sale! - Look at it.
It was given to me when I was leader of the Primos.
Promise me that you'll use it to avenge what was done to Maria.
- I will.
I swear it.
Don't you want a piece of the Ochos too? - Hey this is your war.
Lead the Primos with courage.
- Judge Powell sure hustled out that search warrant.
- We gotta get Fuente put away fast, before he unloads his artillery.
Warrant.
Fuente.
Fuente.
If I was Fuente I wouldn't leave anything incriminating around.
- Fuente deals in guns and smack and he does it from here.
There's gotta be something.
Once the first kid is hurt, there'll be no going back.
- We don't even know where the gangs are lined up to kick it off.
- Let's hope that Stacy and Corrigan come up with a lead.
Look at this.
Well, Fuente tried.
He was always wiping his hands, but he never was clean.
And never will be.
- [Woman On Radio.]
4-Adam-30, meet 4-Adam-16 on Tac 2.
- 4-Adam-30 roger.
- Hooker, just talked to Teresa.
She said Luis said something about before 82, a place where the Ochos were respected.
- Could be the River Street Wash.
They used to race there, the Ochos always won.
We're on our way, meet us there.
(tense music) - Chuy! Chuy don't! Please.
Chuy, stop please.
- Go home Maria.
This is no place for you to be.
- Get her out of here Chuy, she's caused enough trouble as it is.
- He makes the trouble.
He makes the war, Chuy.
- The Ochos spit in my face when they shame you like this.
I can't let that be.
Now go home.
Go home.
- All right, hold it.
Get back to your own turf.
I said hold it.
(men shout) Get back there.
We found the gun that shot Chuy.
Same gun that shot Julie Mendez.
And the first fingerprints we're gonna try and match with those on the gun are yours, Manuel.
We found these, with the gun.
They were worn by the shooters, Frankie and Angel, so they would look like Ochos.
- They tried to frame us.
- Not they, one man.
One man who comes in on top no matter who wins this war.
- Hey, don't listen to him.
You saw what they did to Chuy's girl.
- It wasn't the Ochos that attacked maria.
- That's right.
- Who was it? I want him myself.
- Listen to me, Chuy.
Who wants things just as they are? Who would lose if there was peace on the streets.
Where did you get the guns that you're carrying? - Julio Fuente.
- When Maria was attacked she ripped this off of Fuente's shirt.
Your enemy isn't Luis and the Ochos.
It's that man there.
(suspenseful music) (sirens sound) (dramatic rock music) (cars crunching together) (cars crunching together) (cars crunching together) - You're through in the barrio, Fuente.
Julie and the kids, they win.
You lose.
(calm music) - Not bad for starters.
- Now that NAPA is an official city commission, shouldn't you have a real office in a real office building? - Could have, but I wanted to be on the street with the people the commission's supposed to help.
- I like it.
- I like the way you got Luis to personally deliver Chuy's letter to the Mayor, help make this official.
- A little loving went a long way.
- You two find Chuy and Maria? - Oh sure did.
Just in the nick of time, they were about to run off and get married.
- I think I convinced her to wait until she finished school.
- Listen Julie, we're gonna help you get settled in here, and this time we won't take no for an answer.
- If you insist.
- Julie, this picture.
Why? - Well you caught me, I guess I have to admit it.
I used to have a crush on you.
- What do you mean used to? - Who knows, maybe the sparks could be rekindled.
If they were fanned.
(romantic music) - Hey partner, end of watch.
What do you say we go to that new pizza joint on Market? - Sorry I'm busy.
I got some heavy fanning to do.
(dramatic theme music)