Ep 3. Cop Suey

Detectives Andy Sipowicz and Bobby Simone are tasked with investigating a case where an off-duty police officer has been shot and killed. The victim, Officer Rizzo, was moonlighting as a bodyguard for a mob boss, and a witness saw a Chinese man fleeing the scene. A string of cop killings orchestrated by the Chinese Triad has the department on high alert, and tensions between the Chinese-American community and the NYPD are mounting.

Sipowicz and Simone waste no time in tracking down the witness and taking him into custody. Through a translator, they learn that the suspect's name is Cheung, and he's part of a contingent of Chinatown residents looking to start their own security company. The detectives' next move is to find Cheung and bring him in for questioning.

Meanwhile, Lieutenant Fancy is dealing with a problem of his own: a city councilman whose son has been arrested for drug possession wants him released immediately. When Fancy refuses to give in to the councilman's demands, he becomes the target of a smear campaign in the press. As the pressure builds, Fancy shows his mettle by sticking to his guns and refusing to be intimidated.

Back on the case, Sipowicz and Simone pay a visit to the mob boss Rizzo was guarding, hoping to get some information on Cheung's whereabouts. The boss is less than forthcoming, and the detectives soon realize they're going to have to find Cheung on their own. They decide to take a gamble and raid Cheung's apartment, where they find evidence linking him to the shooting.

But the detectives' victory is short-lived. When they bring Cheung in for questioning, his lawyer reveals that he has an ironclad alibi: at the time of the shooting, he was working in a restaurant kitchen with dozens of witnesses. Sipowicz and Simone are stumped, but they refuse to give up.

Their persistence pays off when they realize that Cheung is connected to the Triad after all: his brother is a member of the organization, and he may have been the one who pulled the trigger. With the help of a Chinese-speaking informant, the detectives are able to track down the brother and take him into custody.

In the end, justice is served, but not without some collateral damage. Lieutenant Fancy's reputation takes a hit in the press, and the relationship between the NYPD and the Chinese-American community is strained even further. Sipowicz and Simone are left to question whether their methods are always worth the cost.