Editing Cop Land (section)

== Plot ==
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The small town of Garrison, [[New Jersey]], is home to a cadre of corrupt police officers from the [[New York City Police Department|NYPD]]'s [[Organization of the New York City Police Department#Police precincts|37th Precinct]], including Lieutenant Ray Donlan, Detective Leo Crasky, and officers Gary Figgis, Jack Rucker, Frank Lagonda and Joey Randone. Exploiting a loophole to live outside of the city as "auxiliary transit cops", Donlan and his men are effectively untouchable by [[Internal affairs (law enforcement)|internal affairs]], and are further protected by the local [[sheriff]], Freddy Heflin. Having lost his hearing in one ear while rescuing a woman from the [[Hudson River]] as a young man, Heflin is unable to fulfill his lifelong dream of joining the NYPD.

Donlan's nephew, Officer Murray Babitch, is sideswiped by two youths while driving across the [[George Washington Bridge]]; believing one of them has a weapon, a frightened Babitch fatally shoots them both. Donlan, Rucker and Crasky try to [[false evidence|plant a gun]] in the teens' car but are caught by a paramedic, leading Donlan to fake Babitch's suicide before hiding him in Garrison. Heflin discovers that Randone is having an affair with Donlan's wife Rose, but he and his deputies Cindy and Bill turn a blind eye to Donlan and his men.

Heflin reconnects with Randone's wife Liz—the woman whom he saved from drowning—and they confess their feelings for each other. The [[cocaine]]-addicted Figgis is kicked out of Donlan's circle, and his house soon burns down with his girlfriend inside. Letting Figgis stay at his home, Heflin refuses to help internal affairs investigator Moe Tilden build his case against Donlan. Fearing that Babitch will expose them, Donlan and his men try to drown his nephew, who escapes and goes to Heflin for help, but flees when he sees Figgis. Unwilling to hunt down Babitch, Randone is thrown off a roof during a struggle with a violent suspect, and Donlan chooses not to save him.

Tired of being pushed around by Donlan and his men, Heflin goes to Tilden but learns that the [[Mayor of New York City|mayor]], under pressure from Donlan's allies in the [[police union]], has shut down the investigation. Stealing Tilden's discarded files, Heflin realizes that Donlan's ties to [[organized crime]] allowed him to create a safe haven in Garrison while [[drug trafficking|trafficking drugs]] through the 37th Precinct, and he had Figgis's partner killed before he could testify against him. Bill is reluctant to become involved, and Cindy leaves for her old department, having lost faith in Heflin's leadership. Rucker tries to intimidate Heflin at a carnival's pistol game, but he is surprised to find Heflin is a crack shot, as is Lagonda after Heflin is chided by Liz for digging into Donlan.

Heflin realizes that Figgis set fire to his own house, and Figgis admits that he committed [[insurance fraud]] to use the payout to leave Garrison for a new life. Convincing Rose to reveal where her nephew is hiding, Heflin takes Babitch into custody and sends Bill away for his own protection, but they are ambushed by Lagonda and Rucker, who capture Babitch and fire a gun next to Heflin's good ear. Completely deafened, Heflin follows them to Donlan's residence. In the ensuing shootout, he kills Lagonda and Rucker, but is wounded by Crasky. Figgis arrives, killing Crasky and distracting Donlan before he can shoot Heflin in the back, and Heflin fatally shoots Donlan.

Driving to NYPD headquarters, Heflin and Figgis deliver Babitch to Tilden. Figgis [[Turn state's evidence|turns state's evidence]], resulting in sweeping arrests and indictments across the police union, the mob and the 37th Precinct. Recovering the hearing in his good ear, Heflin continues to serve as sheriff in Garrison.