When They See Us (2019) s01e01 Episode Script

Part One

1 ["I GOT IT MADE" BY SPECIAL ED PLAYING.]
MAN: Tron! Come get some of this food before I go back to work.
- Got the sports section? - Yeah, you see that? The Yankees released Gary Ward.
He's a two time All-Star.
Yeah, just like you.
Yeah, but that ain't right.
Probably got tired.
Wanted to trade, you know what I mean? He'll get picked up, quick too.
Won't play for the Yankees, though.
Still root for him, though.
Nah, if he ain't a Yankee, nothing to root for.
You cold, Tron.
What? I'm just saying.
No french fries for traitors, man.
Whoa, I ain't no traitor.
I am loyal to the soil.
- You know what I'm saying? - A'ight, we gonna see.
'Cause, you know, usually I just let everybody else go and take the lead, but today, I was like, "I wanna step up.
I'm gonna do what I have to do," and I did.
And I really feel like if I keep doing that, then I could really take first chair.
I really do.
- [BOY LAUGHS.]
- And you sounded good today, too.
All right, you got your music lesson out the way.
You're a free man.
Don't waste this spring break, Kev.
Spring break's for relaxing, Angie.
How about you relax your way into those dishes from last night - before Mama gets home? - Okay.
I'm closing at work tonight.
Don't wait up.
All right.
Come on, baby girl, let's go get some chicken at Kennedy.
- How come you always hungry? - How come you never hungry? 'Cause I eat at lunch.
At school.
That's why.
Mm! Look at me.
And if you would come to school more often, then we could spend more time together.
Well, I was waiting for you to get out of school so we could eat together.
Everything better with you.
Come on, let's get us some Kennedy.
Please, baby.
Yeah? Yo, ease up.
Don't let's get there first.
Make Sharene go inside, and - you know, be looking around for me.
- Oh, boy.
She is not checking for What are you doing? She ain't checking for you, Ray.
She on Nick's jock.
- Party don't start till 9:00, so - What time is it now? Bro, I know you see the watch.
Why you ask him? - Come on - Oh, man, careful with that! [LAUGHTER.]
Oh, y'all real funny.
Y'all got jokes.
I wanna see Where y'all watches? - Oh, shit.
- What's that? Tell me they ain't coming to Sharene's party.
- I don't know, bro.
What's going on? - [ROWDY YELLING.]
They probably just wildin' out.
["MICROPHONE FIEND" BY ERIC B & RAKIM PLAYING.]
Spread the word 'cause I'm in E-F-F-E-C-T A smooth operator operating correctly But back to the problem I got a habit You can't solve it, silly rabbit - Yo, let's go Saturday.
- Saturday it is.
Yo, is that Deondre coming for us? MAN: Yo, Kane! No, that's Al Morris.
He cool.
Come on, man.
We're going to the park.
Let's move.
- I thought you wasn't hungry.
- I'm hungry now.
Okay, I said, "Baby girl, you hungry?" You said, "No.
" - I know what I said, Korey.
- "No.
" - There you go, taking all my food.
- MAN 1: Yo! Pollo! - Let's go, we're going to the park! - MAN 2: Let's go! Come on! Let's go, right now! Let's go! - I thought you was hungry.
- Come on! - But I mean, I better look out there - WOMAN: No, Korey! - No! Korey, for real? - I'll be a few minutes! - No, Korey! - I'll be ten minutes.
Stay.
I promise.
- Ten minutes.
- MAN 1: All right, let's go! [BANGING ON WINDOW CONTINUES.]
KOREY: Five minutes, baby.
["MICROPHONE FIEND" CONTINUING.]
MAN: Hey, yo! Yo, what do you think they're doing? I don't know.
Let's go ball.
Man, I'll see you.
I've got a game waiting.
[RAGGED SNORING.]
[LABORED BREATHING.]
["FIGHT THE POWER" BY PUBLIC ENEMY PLAYING.]
[EXCITED CHATTER AND YELLING.]
- 1989 - The number, another summer Sound of the funky drummer Music hitting your heart 'cause I know you got soul Brothers and sisters Don't know about that.
I got that new Hey! Yo, you seeing this? And the rhythm rhymes rollin' Got to give us what we want - Uh! - Got to give us what we need Hey! Our freedom of speech Is freedom or death We've got to fight the powers that be Yo! Hey, man, watch out! - Fight the power - MAN: Yo, it's your pop! - [INDISTINCT COMMENT.]
- CYCLIST: Back off! Fight the power Fight the power Fight the power Fight the power We've got to fight the powers that be [EXCITED CHATTER AND LAUGHTER.]
MAN: Ah, what have we got here? [OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYING.]
MAN 1: What you gonna do? MAN 2: Bunch of white dudes jumped me in the Bronx last week.
MAN 1: Man, stop playing yourself! [ATTACKERS LAUGHING.]
[VICTIM GROANS.]
MAN 3: Get up! - MAN 2: Payback's a bitch.
- Go, go, go! [SIREN WAILING.]
WOMAN: Police operator 414, which emergency? - MAN: Police! Run! - MAN 1: about 30 or 40 male blacks - Come on! - MAN 1: inside Central Park, approximately at 100th Street and East Drive.
MAN 2: by a group of seven male Hispanic youths.
- [APPROACHING SIRENS.]
- MAN 2: It's a roving band.
MAN 3: four or five male black teenagers and possibly used some sort of weapon, a bat or a stick of some sort.
MAN 4: Be advised, Central.
The group is heading towards 107th Street.
MAN: Get up! Get up! MAN 5: Central, the last assault, where did that take place? WOMAN: That was at nine-six and the West Drive.
- MAN 6: Now heading north.
- WOMAN: Heading north? MAN 6: Coming right to us.
[PANTING.]
[TIRES SCREECH.]
- Police! - MAN: It's the cops! - [SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING.]
- OFFICER 1: Stop there! - OFFICER 1: Get down! - OFFICER 2: Stop! [GRUNTS.]
[INDISTINCT SHOUTING.]
OFFICER: Stop now! Stop right now! Right fucking now! [SIREN WAILING.]
MAN: Go! [MEN STRUGGLING.]
- OFFICER: Little animal, stop! - Stop it! I didn't do nothing! - I swear I didn't do - OFFICER: Don't run! MAN ON POLICE RADIO: Dispatch, 14-Charlie-7.
We got a 10-92 on West 42nd Street just east of Broadway.
White male MAN: Morning.
- It's bad? - Yeah.
White female adult with severe injuries to the face and body.
FAIRSTEIN: Uh-huh.
MAN: Yeah, watch your step.
- FAIRSTEIN: Any press here yet? - MAN: Not yet.
[FAIRSTEIN SIGHS.]
- Still alive? - Yeah.
What the fuck was she doing here? Uh Time of discovery? 1:30 a.
m.
Couple of beaners were out for a midnight stroll, called it in.
Could Ah-ah! Could you Let's make sure to get these drag marks.
He dragged her in.
Just like right there.
Look, clear as day.
His footsteps.
Her body.
Fucking hell.
I gotta get this statement out.
There are a few reporters out there.
The assault on the female jogger occurred in the North Park at approximately, um let's say between 10:00 to 11:00 p.
m.
The jogger is believed to have been running on the East Drive when she was struck on the back of the head, dragged into the brush, severely beaten, and raped.
Sheehan, who's here? Did you pick up any gays or homeless or anything? You know, maybe somebody saw something.
Rosario said it got pretty lively up there.
- Oh, yeah? - His unit collared a bunch of turds up at the north end of the park, goofing off.
Okay, what is this? "Willing"? "Wheeling" What is that? FEMALE OFFICER: Uh, it says "wiling out"? What's "wilding"? - I'm here for my son.
- OFFICER: Okay.
Kevin Richardson? He's 14, in the eighth grade.
OFFICER: Reynolds, Santanas.
REYNOLDS: Mr.
Santana.
- OFFICER: Next.
- Took you long enough.
We call you at 5:00 a.
m.
and you show up at 8:00? I'm sorry.
I gotta work.
I was sleeping REYNOLDS: Sleep well with your kid running loose in the park? No, my son never gave me no problems.
Except when he breaks the law? Give me that one on top.
- Come on, sir.
What - REYNOLDS: Bring this to family court.
What's the law that he broke? Come on.
Unlawful assembly.
Next shift will process him out.
Wait, next shift? But I gotta get to work.
I gotta work.
Sir, I gotta - Detective Farrell.
- Interview room with the kids.
- [WOMAN IN SPANISH.]
- I gotta go, man.
- I gotta go, I'm really late.
- I understand.
If he's under 16, legally your son has to have an adult SANTANA: I know, but you know what.
I'm already late for work, okay? I don't know what else to do.
My mother's here.
Maybe she can stay.
But, mira, the thing is that she don't even got no English.
- OFFICER: We have translators here - SANTANA: I'll be fired if I don't go.
What happened to that one? Bunch of wise-asses out in the park last night.
Hassling bicyclists, beating up people.
They're only 13, 14 at most.
Parents are coming in for family court tickets.
What's "wilding"? - What's that? - You said on your report here they were "wilding.
" What's that mean? FARRELL: I don't know.
One of them said it.
Hey.
What were you doing in the park last night? Uh, nothing.
I wasn't doing anything FAIRSTEIN: Did you see some bad guys out there - doing some bad things? - [KNOCKS ON DESK.]
Um Who were you Who were you out in the park with? - Uh, I was out with my boy Tron.
- Mm-hm.
Yeah.
Out "wilding" with Tron, huh? No? Is Tron here? No? Okay.
What's Tron's name and address? It's okay.
Um Antron McCray.
- FAIRSTEIN: Uh-huh.
- He live around Schomburg.
I don't know an exact - an exact address.
- It's cool.
That's cool.
Thank you.
So you were just gonna let possible witnesses to a rape go on a family court ticket? Wake these kids up and start getting some information.
We've got a lady raped and clinging to life here.
I want their interviews on my desk immediately so I can put together a timeline.
Let's work.
Wake up.
[ALARM BUZZING.]
MAN ON RADIO: Good morning, New York City! WOMAN: Z100 New York bringing you the latest hits on your way to work.
MAN: At the top of the 8:00 a.
m.
hour.
WOMAN: Early What's this, babe? [SIGHS.]
Tronny was playing in the park and fell.
It was so late, I had him put 'em there.
What you mean, late? Your son didn't get in till almost 10:00.
Said him and Clarence got caught up in the park Clarence got taken down to the police station.
MAN: Wait, what? What happened? WOMAN: Tronny said he was playing tag in the park and fell at first.
I was following these big kids in the park and Mm-hm.
- WOMAN: When he said - It was fun at first, but then they started throwing stuff.
That wasn't cool, you know? WOMAN: he said some kids were causing a ruckus in the park - and that's when he left.
- We left.
You left, huh? How you get mud on your pants, bro? I-I was running.
From who? Th-the police.
Wait.
Are you trying to tell me all y'all was running from the police? Come on, Tron, we talked about this, man! You know better than that! I taught you better than that.
[BUZZING.]
[INDISTINCT POLICE RADIO CHATTER.]
Go on, get your jacket, okay? - Go.
- Okay.
And how long we gonna be downtown for? Not long.
You'll make your shift.
Those the clothes from last night? No, sir.
Get the clothes from last night.
I'm Aaron Rosenthal, Assistant Chief of Detectives.
At approximately 1:30, this morning, two males walking across Central Park just north of the 102nd Street jogging path found a female.
Uh, she was still alive and is in fact still alive.
Uh, she was taken to Metropolitan Hospital where she is classified as being in serious condition.
That's all we've got.
FAIRSTEIN: Multiple attacks.
9:00 p.
m.
, confirmed.
110th Okay.
9:10 Okay, bicyclists confirmed on East Drive.
9:15 first walking patron confirmed assault on East Drive.
Hey.
Farrell's interviews with the boys are in.
- What you got? - All this is happening in the park and it's not connected? They're not witnesses.
They're suspects.
Put a call into the DA's office and ask Elizabeth Lederer.
I want her on this.
Uh, I think Nancy Ryan in Homicide Division This is a sex crimes unit.
It's not a homicide.
- OFFICER: Nancy Ryan's on her way.
- I'm here.
Hey, Linda.
This doesn't sound like something your unit should handle, Linda.
What happened in Central Park is a sex crime.
When you gave me this unit to run, Robert, it was for exactly this kind of case.
North Homicide's already working.
I got six detectives on this.
I was at the crime scene before daylight.
Well, I got there before you.
I've had precinct guys here interviewing suspects - Suspects? - in custody.
You've got a dozen kids harassing bicyclists.
And beating up joggers.
A public school teacher's at Metropolitan with a fractured skull.
I'm about to get Rosario to the hospital to interview him.
Right now, these kids these kids were on a rampage.
It's your call, Mr.
Morgenthau.
- Well, look - Before you decide, Robert, just just hear me out.
There were 3,412 rapes reported to the NYPD last year.
3,412 times someone was assaulted, held down, threatened, degraded forced.
This has gone way beyond problematic.
This is an epidemic.
We are not in control.
And we can be.
The two of you work it out.
Call me as soon as you make a decision.
[SWITCHES SPEAKERPHONE OFF.]
These males terrorized bicyclists here.
They put two guys in the hospital with head injuries here.
A 50-year-old man they attacked here, and a public school teacher jogging at the reservoir.
And way up here they brutally raped a woman and discarded her like a piece of garbage.
- Left her for dead.
- DETECTIVE: What a mess.
FAIRSTEIN: Bleeding, bound.
Naked.
And to think we were gonna release these animals to family court and put them back on the streets.
I got a question.
For all of you.
At 9:30, they're terrorizing folks here.
At 10:00, one of them is raping the female jogger here.
What happened in the half-hour in between? What did these animals do between here and here? Hm? Are there other victims still in the park? [INDISTINCT CONVERSATION.]
Good luck.
You're gonna need it.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION CONTINUING.]
[SIGHS.]
I need that whole group.
I have some of them and descriptions of others, but I need all of them.
Every young black male who was in the park last night is a suspect in the rape of that woman who is fighting for her life right now.
I want units out strong - [DISTANT SIREN WAILING.]
- Come on, guys.
What did we miss? Let's get an army of blue up in Harlem.
You go into those projects and you stop every little thug you see.
You bring in every kid who was in the park last night.
Yo, he stays there all the time.
- No way.
- All day.
With that same newspaper? - Without fail.
- MAN: I want to know, that's why.
Okay, that's not even a fucking street.
Come on.
- Let's go this way, Kane.
- [QUESTIONING CONTINUES.]
- DETECTIVE 1: He's a fucking comedian.
- Kane! Hustle! You never seen that name before? DETECTIVE 1: Hey! You got ID? - Huh? - Yeah.
- Um - DETECTIVE 1: Huh? - Only ID I have is my bus pass.
- DETECTIVE 1: Well, let's see it.
OFFICER 2: Fits the description.
Yep.
Yusef Salaam, 16.
What, you in 11th grade? Yeah.
I'm actually 15.
You graduate high school next year, you're telling me you're 15? He skipped some grades.
And I changed the birth date on that.
DETECTIVE 2: How come? I was trying to impress some girls.
We'll go with 16.
Come on.
Come here.
Come here.
You 16? - Huh? - Sixteen.
DETECTIVE 1: What's your name? Korey Wise.
He's not on the list.
Take him.
You wanna go downtown with your buddy? You'll be right back.
I guess so.
I mean your moms would kill me if I don't, so Come on.
DETECTIVE 1: Go ahead.
You're a good friend, you know? Sticking with your buddy.
Hey, girl.
You seen my son? WOMAN: No.
Nothing but a bunch of roughnecks out in the plaza today.
And he know he's supposed to be home before I get home.
Mm-hm.
All right, if you see him, you tell him to get his behind home.
I'll let him know.
- All right.
Bye.
Thank you.
- All right.
Bye.
We've got suspects, we've got kids in custody.
Interrogate.
Make them name their accomplices.
This is not business as usual.
The press is crawling all over this.
No kid gloves here.
These are not kids.
They raped this woman.
Our lady jogger deserves this.
OFFICER: Wait, not him.
That's Kevin Richardson.
He's only 14.
His mother felt sick, so she left.
Needed her medication.
The mother left voluntarily? Is it snowing? What? It suddenly feels like Christmas.
Here we go.
DETECTIVE 1: The sooner you tell us what you know, the sooner you go home.
You got it? Yeah.
- Uh, yes, Officer.
- Detective.
I'm Detective Hartigan.
Let's start with you telling us who you were in the park with.
[SIGHS.]
I don't know names.
I just I just got lost.
DETECTIVE 2: Sit up.
This isn't a game.
Is my Is my mom here? HARTIGAN: She left.
She wasn't feeling well.
It's just us.
You and us.
DETECTIVE: Antron, Clarence told us you two were in the park with the kids who were beating people up.
That right? Speak up, son.
Yes, sir.
You tell the truth, you clear things up, we send you home, okay? - Yes, sir.
- DETECTIVE: Great.
DETECTIVE: Why was everybody but you, Yusef, randomly beating up innocent people? I didn't go in there to beat up on people.
I just wanted to hang with Korey and Eddie.
I wouldn't have gone if I had known that's why we were there.
So you didn't do nothing? You were just rolling through the park with your boys on a casual stroll? DETECTIVE: You're in the eighth grade, Raymond? [TRANSLATES INTO SPANISH.]
Um, I'm in seventh.
Pretty big for seventh.
[TRANSLATES INTO SPANISH.]
I grew some this year.
What do you know about rape? RAYMOND: It's, uh something about sex? [SPEAKING IN SPANISH.]
[SPEAKING IN SPANISH.]
Ms.
Cruz is gonna take a break.
[DETECTIVE 2 SPEAKING IN SPANISH.]
[SPEAKING IN SPANISH.]
[DOOR CLOSES.]
DETECTIVE: Ray.
We need some answers here.
Where did you see the lady? Who What lady? Kevin Antron and Raymond saw you messing around with the lady.
Wh-who said that? Kevin Richardson said you raped the lady in the park.
- What? No, that's not possible.
- Wait a minute.
Wait a second.
That is not poss This is my son! I don't know what you're talking about.
That didn't happen.
- Kevin says it did.
- Wait, who's Kevin? DETECTIVE: Come on.
Antron McCray and Raymond Santana said they saw you rape the lady.
You got that? I never saw I never saw no lady.
- Really? - I didn't No.
I didn't see any lady.
- DETECTIVE: Kevin - I didn't see any lady.
Who you talking about? The lady in the park! I didn't see a lady or hit anyone.
Raymond saw you hit her! Who's Raymond? Wanted to stick your cock in a white lady, huh? - Don't you fucking lie to me! - HARTIGAN: Hey! Calm down! Listen, Ray kids like you don't do this shit.
Got too much going for you.
Weirdos do this shit.
Weirdos and perverts rape ladies.
That ain't you.
You got no reason to rape a lady.
You probably get your pick of the girls, right? I - I never had a problem with girls.
- Exactly.
Which is how I know that you're not doing what these other fucking kids are saying.
What are they saying about me? They don't even know me.
They're saying all kinds of shit.
You're involved is what they're saying.
"Ray did it" is what they say.
So if you let me help you, I want to help you.
You get these fucking kids back, get the hell out of here.
Deal? You give something, you get something.
This lady got herself raped in the park last night.
Now Kevin, he's saying it's you.
But you see that scratch? She scratched him when she was fighting him off.
So what do you think happened? Kevin did it.
[TEARFULLY.]
No, they're lying on me.
How'd this happen? You want to explain that? Where'd you get that scratch? It was the lady when you was raping her, right? When you were shoving your dick right into her.
DETECTIVE 2: Whoa! Fuck! Wanna talk proper? Hm? You think you're gonna bullshit me? DETECTIVE 1: You're not gonna bullshit me.
I could do this all day.
- I told you - DETECTIVE 1: He's your boy! I went in the park with Eddie DETECTIVE 2: That's a story and we know it.
Antron McCray.
He was involved.
What was Antron doing? Antone held her down, I guess.
"Antron.
" He is 14 years old! Wait a second.
He's 14! You're talking about my little He's a little baby! Give me a second, okay? They're calling me Antron! Mom! He's calling me Antron.
- No, all my friends call me Tronny.
- Give me five seconds - DETECTIVE: Mrs.
McCray - [ARGUMENT CONTINUES.]
- ANTRON: Hey! - What are they talking about? What is going on? ANTRON: Wait, wait, wait! - [ARGUMENT CONTINUING.]
- DETECTIVE: Okay, I understand.
- MAN: It's cool.
- DETECTIVE: Calm down.
ANTRON: Hey! DETECTIVE: We need to take her out.
- Step outside, please.
- ANTRON: Ma! [DOOR CLOSES.]
DETECTIVE 1: Sit.
You stay down.
What did you do when you saw the lady? What did you first do? [ANTRON SOBS.]
DETECTIVE 1: Did you touch her down there? - Okay? It's okay.
- ANTRON: No, I didn't.
I told you.
I I ain't seen no lady.
DETECTIVE 1: Raymond Santana saw you rape her.
I know that.
Who is he? Don't you fucking raise your voice to me! All right? Just because you don't know him doesn't mean he didn't see you.
Antron, everybody's saying that you did this! FATHER: Excuse me.
You think there's someone I can talk to? I don't know those boys and I don't know what they're saying, but I know my son.
Ain't no way he did this.
No way, right? See, he's a good boy and we raised him, right? He don't know nothing about sex or nothing.
Straight up, he didn't do no rape.
He ain't got no experience.
The boy won't even talk to girls yet.
You know what I'm saying.
Soon, that's all he's gonna be talking about.
Yeah.
[CHUCKLES.]
How long you been at Imperial? About five years now.
That's a good job.
Yeah.
Yeah, it is.
Good benefits, good pay.
Your supervisor know about your past, Bobby? I mean, he knows I ain't been no trouble since I been there.
Five years.
He knows you did time, right? I mean, it really It don't really matter 'cause that's behind me now.
I ain't been in no trouble.
Maybe not, huh? Why don't you talk some sense into your kid? We both want him to go home tonight, right? Right? - Yeah.
- Get up! [SIGHS.]
Hey.
What's up, boy? You all right? Hey [WHISPERING.]
Listen to me, Tron.
I need you to do what the police want you to do.
You gotta say what they want you to say.
- But they want me to lie.
- Don't think of it like that.
Just say what they want you to say.
Dad, I ain't rape no lady.
Tron I'm trying to tell you what you need to do to get your ass up out of here.
- But you're not listening to me.
- I ain't do this.
Doesn't matter.
You gotta listen to me.
Tron, listen to me.
Don't fucking backtalk me.
- You're not listening - [YELLS.]
Goddamn it! Why you not listening to me? Tron, these police will mess us up.
They're not playing.
They're not.
Look when the police want what they want, they will do anything.
Do you hear me? Anything.
They'll lie on us.
They will lock us up.
They will kill us.
I ain't gonna let them kill my son.
But you don't know nothing about that yet.
But you will do what they say.
You will go along.
Do you understand me? [YELLS.]
Do you understand me? Yes, sir.
[DOOR OPENS.]
[ANTRON CLEARS HIS THROAT.]
DETECTIVE: Tell me about the lady.
SHEEHAN: Trisha Meili lives East 83rd Street.
Her boyfriend says he spoke to her on the phone at 9:00 p.
m.
His assistant in the office placed the call for them.
They talk and she leaves to go out jogging.
She's downstairs at 9:05.
And she says hi to the doorman and takes off on her regular run, north on East Drive.
Her boyfriend says she's an experienced runner.
- [BEEPING.]
- She does a steady eight-minute mile She goes in at 88th Street.
Eight minutes per mile.
It's 9:15 when she gets to the place where she's dragged off the road.
FAIRSTEIN: That's a 45-minute discrepancy.
We could pull the rape up to 9:20.
You know, maybe she stopped to tie her shoes or something? No, it's still out of whack.
How can these same kids be raping her at the same time they're jumping bicyclists way over there? Nothing on the weapon, question marks on the timeline.
I mean, we got problems.
Sheehan, what do you think about the, you know, "I got lost in the ball field" bullshit we keep hearing about? - I never liked that.
- Yeah, me neither.
If there's no ball field, they have plenty of time to attack and rape her.
- What, change the order? - WOMAN: Yeah.
Oh, so they go to the reservoir last.
Is there enough time for all this to even happen? Well, it happened, so obviously there was.
SANTANA: I came home for dinner, and I thought Ray would be home by Uh [DOOR CLOSES.]
What's going.
What's going on with my son? Where's my mother? We almost finished here, Pop.
- HARTIGAN: Come on, sit down.
- What's going on? I mean, nobody told me nothing.
- I got it.
- SANTANA: Almost finished with what? - What's going on here? - Don't worry about it.
Are you okay? [IN SPANISH.]
What did you do? HARTIGAN: Okay, so So, Antron held her down while Kevin was raping her, right? Wait, what are you talking about? - Pop, stop.
- What are you talking about, rape? Your son was witness to a rape in Central Park.
So Antron was raping her.
Now, what were you doing? - Nothing.
- HARTIGAN: Oh, come on, Ray.
No one will believe a kid like you would just stand there.
You gotta put yourself in there.
No, wait a minute.
What do you mean, "put yourself in there"? - Pop, stop.
- HARTIGAN: He was there.
- You didn't hear what he just said? - Pop, stop.
I made a deal.
Okay.
Now, she was hit pretty hard.
Okay, so who hit her? Kevin.
HARTIGAN: Come on, relax.
[HANDCUFFS RATTLING.]
Let's take a break from these, huh? What do you like to do after school, kid? I play I play trumpet.
HARTIGAN: Wow! That ain't easy.
And you want to keep playing, right? Get to be as good as Miles? You don't want to throw all that away.
You seem like a good kid.
Just got caught up going with the wrong group.
That's normal.
Kevin.
You tell me what you know about Antron and Raymond and that lady that's the road to home.
You help me, I'll help you.
HARTIGAN: Kevin.
Now, the lady she was in jogging clothes, right? - Yeah.
- HARTIGAN: So, what was she wearing? Um Um, jogging clothes.
- Um - [INAUDIBLE.]
KEVIN: Like a blouse and Um, like I mean, uh No, I mean, like a tank top and, um And Yeah, like a tank top and, like, some shorts.
HARTIGAN: Who took off her shirt? Let's go by who was there.
Raymond? Antron? Was it Antron? Um, yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah, Antron, yeah.
HARTIGAN: So Antron, he ripped off her shirt.
Did he touch her boobies? Who spread her legs? Hm, um - HARTIGAN: What was Raymond doing? - Raymond? Raymond, um, yeah.
HARTIGAN: And who was on top? So what was Antron doing again? After he ripped off her shirt, then he was raping her, Kevin.
And then Antron got on top.
HARTIGAN: Now, what were you doing? Hm? How did she scratch you? Hm? It was, like I came over to to where, like, to where everybody was at and where like, the lady was at and, um and I was like trying to stop it, like like, "Hey, stop.
" Like, I was trying to like, trying to help her out.
Um Uh, and then like I think she I mean, no, she scratched me.
And Yeah.
She She scratched me when I came over.
I was trying to stop and she scratched me.
And, yeah, that's how I got the scratch.
Okay.
So, I'm gonna bring someone in here.
And we're gonna write some of this stuff down.
Let's get your sister in here, get you out of this room.
We talked about a lot of things.
It's all in there.
- Right.
- Can I see it? Sure.
This He didn't even write this.
- This isn't - No, he dictated it.
Who are these boys? I never heard of these boys.
Wha "Touched her boobs"? - Kevin - No.
No, Angie.
No.
- I didn't do anything - Then why you say that you did do it? I didn't do that, Angie.
He's telling you that he didn't see nothing.
Why are you making him sign this when he's telling you he saw nothing? You gotta put at the bottom, "I'm the one that didn't do the rape.
" Okay, we'll do that.
You gotta sign right here.
All right? - I'm not signing this.
- Angie, please sign it.
SHEEHAN: Come on.
You wanna take your brother home or not? - Yes.
- 'Cause we can keep him.
- No - HARTIGAN: Angie - Kev, I can't sign - KEVIN: Please, just sign it.
Please.
HARTIGAN: Angie, just because you waive an attorney right now, it doesn't mean it's forever, right? - I don't even - You get your brother home.
You and your mother figure things out with a lawyer - I have to figure this out.
- I don't wanna stay here anymore.
[TEARFULLY.]
I'm tired of being here.
I don't wanna be here anymore.
Please sign it.
HARTIGAN: We don't wanna be here doing this.
I wanna go home.
- Okay.
- KEVIN: Angie, I wanna go home.
- I don't wanna be here.
- ANGIE: Okay.
- I wanna go home.
- Okay.
I don't wanna be here.
[SOBBING.]
Okay.
I got you.
I got you.
It's okay.
It's okay.
It's okay.
SHEEHAN: The Richardsons and the McCrays have signed.
- The boys are in Holding.
- FAIRSTEIN: We still gotta tape 'em.
Those are grass stains? - That's right, Counselor.
- Be sure to get that, okay? [PHONE RINGING.]
- Hello.
- It's Gina.
I just talked to Jim down at the barbershop.
He say he saw them rounding up boys in the neighborhood earlier.
Yusef got picked up by the police! The police? He said the cops were from the 24th Precinct.
All right, all right, okay.
Ms.
Salaam, it's too late.
He waived the attorney.
He can't do that.
- He's a minor.
- His legal ID says he's 16.
My son is 15.
Can I see the birth certificate? You know what? I think I'll actually call The New York Times.
And inform them that you are knowingly interrogating an unaccompanied minor in defiance of his mother.
- You're gonna call the Times? - The New York Times, yes.
Are you already interrogating my son back there without me? He is too young for that.
He is a minor.
You can't stop us from interrogating a suspect.
- Who do you think you are? - I'm his mother.
And I'm stopping this.
I'm stopping this right now.
Right now.
I want to see my son.
I want to see my son right now.
Right now! DETECTIVE 1: Up here.
Sign this.
DETECTIVE 2: Come on.
Wake up and DETECTIVE 1: Sign this, right now.
First and last name, right there, top line.
Go ahead.
- Finish writing it.
- What are you doing? DETECTIVE 2: You gotta be fucking kidding me right now.
The door just opens now? Fuck.
I'm here, son.
I'm here.
Look at me.
Are you hurt? Are you? No.
No.
MOTHER: What is that? Miranda card.
He waived his right to an attorney.
We're not waiving any rights.
You left a child unaccompanied by a guardian or a lawyer with these men in this room, for hours! Shame on you.
[SORROWFUL MUSIC PLAYING.]
DETECTIVE: Wait.
Wait.
His dad needs to sign this too.
Here's a pen.
The quicker you sign, the quicker we get out of here.
You know, my son ain't eat since yesterday.
It's been 18 hours since you brung him here.
- Can I go get him some food now? - [DETECTIVE SIGHS.]
You got about five minutes, then I'm taking him to Holding.
- Okay? - Where can I get some food around here? Tell him to get a lawyer.
Whatever they said I did I didn't.
I know, I know.
I know, I know, I know.
FAIRSTEIN: Counselor Lederer.
Morning.
Hi.
FAIRSTEIN: Here's the latest on the new case.
I've been up working on this all night.
LEDERER: Okay.
When these kids are given the facts of the first bicycle assaults, we see moments where their stories actually align with each other.
- When we arrive at the rape - Yeah.
Then they all start lying.
Lying? Try five different versions.
Okay, you've got Raymond saying, "It wasn't me.
It was Kevin.
" Kevin saying, "Not me, it was Antron who did it.
" And then Antron goes "Oh, wait, it was some mysterious tall black guy who assaulted her.
" And then he doubles down and has the whole cast of characters raping her.
Except for himself, who pulled out his penis and only pretended to rape her.
[EXHALES IN DISBELIEF.]
I've gotta face a judge and prosecute this, Linda.
What is your case? Our case is they're all guilty.
Each of these boys assaulted Patricia Meili.
They all raped her.
And we know this because in each of these boys' confessions, they all bear eyewitness against each other.
You think it's weak.
I'm imagining myself walking into that courtroom armed with a stack of wildly conflicting statements, no physical evidence, no weapon.
All we need is for one of these little shits to tie this whole thing together.
[OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYING.]
SHEEHAN: You've been going over your statement.
You think you know this pretty good? 'Cause we can't stop the taping if you mess up.
Okay.
[STAMMERS.]
Actually, no.
No, I, uh - I didn't hear it.
I seen it.
- LEDERER: This kid is a dumpster fire.
He says he didn't rape her.
He says he didn't actually witness it.
You've lost Yusef and Antron and you don't have a location.
SHEEHAN: We're gonna add a few things.
All right? Tall, skinny black guy.
All right? You listening? Yusef Salaam.
Yeah? And another guy, Korey.
I'm not gonna remember all that.
LEDERER: The biggest issue isn't that their statements don't match.
It's that nothing these boys state matches the central facts of the crime.
We changed it already.
Yeah, well, we're changing it again.
RAYMOND: Twice we did the pipe and a tall dude with the flat top.
[SHEEHAN LAUGHS.]
You don't want the jury to think you're a liar.
LEDERER: So, Meili was found raped and beaten by a muddy area half a mile north of the reservoir.
All of them say the attack happened beside the reservoir.
So, did they rape her there and then drag her half a mile? Where is the physical evidence to support that? They just got it wrong.
These idiots don't know the park.
Mike, we still got one more, right? SHEEHAN: Yeah.
- Korey Wise.
- FAIRSTEIN: Mm-hm.
He's the one.
He's the glue.
We'll make sure he sticks it together.
Well, make sure this kid knows where he actually was.
REPORTER: We're outside the 24th Precinct - [SIREN WAILS.]
- [INDISTINCT CONVERSATION.]
[REPORTERS SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY.]
WOMAN: Ma'am! Excuse me, ma'am! MAN: Excuse me, ma'am! Hey, what station did you say it was again? Yeah, I'm just trying to be sure.
Damn.
- Yeah.
- Ma'am, are you visiting someone here? Are you related to one of the suspects in the jogger case? Um, I'm just here to see my son.
Is he involved in the jogger case? I I don't wanna be on camera.
Ma'am, what's your son's name? What's your son's name, ma'am? Or your name, ma'am? Ma'am, what's your son's name? Do you know what happened? I've been looking for him at different stations trying to find him.
I didn't know they had him here since yesterday.
REPORTER 1: Have you heard about the young woman in the hospital? Yes, I have heard about that.
REPORTER 2: Do you have any words for the young woman? - She's fighting for her life.
- MOTHER: I don't want to be on camera.
REPORTER 1: What have the police told you? I don't know, they just They just said to come here, but they didn't say he did anything.
- Please stop taking my picture.
- REPORTER 1: What's your name, ma'am? Ma'am, do you know what happened that night? Was he part of the group What's your son's name, ma'am? LEDERER: Korey, I have been informed by the detectives that you wish to make a statement.
- [GROANS IN PAIN.]
- Come on! LEDERER: You wish to say something? Yes.
Before Okay, before you say it, let me just stop you and let me say what I need to say.
Let me give you your rights again.
You have the right to remain silent and refuse to answer any questions.
Do you understand? - Yes.
- LEDERER: Anything you say may be used against you in court.
Do you understand? KOREY: Yes.
LEDERER: You have a right to consult a lawyer now before any questioning and have a lawyer present during questioning.
- Do you understand? - Listen to me.
- KOREY: Yes.
- I'm not gonna hurt you.
I'm not gonna hurt you, Korey.
- I am on your side.
- [KOREY SOBS.]
The whole fucking city is like him.
Now that I've advised you of your rights, are you willing to tell me the truth about the woman who was assaulted in Central Park on the night of April 19th, 1989? That girl, she's been in critical condition.
- She probably gonna die.
- Yeah, but Do you wanna be on the hook for murder? No.
[BUTTON CLICKS.]
In the beginning, we came down from from the park from the field from the reservoir to the field, and that's when we came towards the rape.
LEDERER: And who is "we"? Me, Kevin, and I don't know the other ones.
LEDERER: Was Yusef there? Yusef? I just came to look after Yusef.
HARTIGAN: Yusef is not here.
You are alone with this in here.
Raymond ran in back of her and that's when the lady turned around and started running real fast.
LEDERER: Okay, when you say you they were raping her Um how did they get her down to where you found the blood? They They dragged her.
From her feet They dragged her They dragged her by her feet.
By her feet.
And they dragged her down the rest.
Don't you want to go home? That's all I want.
It's all I want.
We can fix this.
Let's get you out of trouble, son.
KOREY: I felt bad.
I felt bad.
This is my This is my first extreme I did to any any kind of female.
Or [SIGHS.]
This is my first rape.
This is my first experience, this will be my last.
[EXHALES.]
Sit down, Korey.
Sit down.
OFFICER 1: Is Juvie Holding full? OFFICER 2: Nope.
But he's 16.
- [CELL DOOR CLOSES.]
- [DOOR IS LOCKED.]
OFFICER: Move.
[KEYS JANGLE.]
Welcome back.
Kevin, right? I saw you that night at the police station.
Who are you? Raymond.
I wondered who Raymond was.
That's where she got you? [KEVIN EXHALES.]
Nah, man.
Um I don't know nothing about it.
A cop A cop hit me in the park.
I saw that.
With his helmet.
I'm Tron.
That's like That's like "Antron"? Yeah.
I lied on you, man.
[SORROWFUL MUSIC PLAYING.]
I'm I'm sorry.
[SIGHS.]
I lied on you, too.
RAYMOND: Yeah.
Me too.
I I'm sorry, man.
They made us lie.
Right? [EXHALES.]
Why are they doing us like this? What other way they ever do us? ["FALLING LEAVES" BY CLARE MAGUIRE PLAYING.]
[INAUDIBLE.]
Falling Falling leaves Falling - [INAUDIBLE.]
- Falling leaves - [INAUDIBLE.]
- You left me - In the falling leaves - [INAUDIBLE.]
Orange skies Under the blood-red moon You left me In the falling leaves [INAUDIBLE.]
Falling Falling leaves
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