An Innocent Man 1989

Here’s a rephrased version of the section:

James “Jimmie” Rainwood (Tom Selleck), a pillar of suburban normalcy, enjoys a harmonious marriage to his lovely wife Kate and lives in a modest abode in Long Beach, California. As an expert aeronautics engineer at American Airlines, Jimmie provides for his wife as she pursues higher education. Meanwhile, in the dark underbelly of law enforcement, Detectives Mike Parnell (David Rasche) and Danny Scalise (Richard Young) lead double lives as corrupt narcotics cops. These two officers have a penchant for pilfering drugs seized during busts, using them to feed their own vices or peddle them to dealers, often resorting to intimidation or false accusations against anyone who dares challenge their authority.

One fateful day, Parnell’s cocaine-fueled haze leads him astray, and he mistakenly raids the wrong residence - Jimmie’s. As Jimmie emerges from the bathroom wielding a hair dryer, Parnell mistakes it for a weapon and opens fire, striking Jimmie in the stomach and leaving him unconscious. Panicked by the possibility of being caught with drugs on their persons, the two detectives concoct a scheme to cover up their blunder. They plant contraband in Jimmie’s home and stage a scene, depicting Jimmie as a drug dealer by placing a firearm in his lifeless hand.

The authorities, unaware of the officers’ true nature, are quick to believe the fabricated narrative. Given his prior marijuana possession conviction from college days, Jimmie’s only recourse is to swear he’s innocent against the word of two respected law enforcement officials. Despite his protests, the evidence against him is circumstantial at best, and he ultimately faces a 6-year prison sentence for the alleged crimes. The Internal Affairs department takes notice of the case, but their efforts are hamstrung by the lack of concrete proof against the corrupt officers, leaving Jimmie’s fate seemingly sealed.

As Jimmie navigates the treacherous landscape of prison life, he finds himself woefully unprepared for the harsh realities that await. The initial shockwave of his cellmate’s brutal murder in the prison yard sets the tone for a series of traumatic events, including a violent encounter with the ruthless Black Guerrilla Family, led by the cunning Jingles. This encounter leaves Jimmie battered and bruised, both physically and emotionally, and he spends weeks recovering from the ordeal.

Meanwhile, Virgil Cane (F. Murray Abraham), a shrewd and respected long-term inmate, offers words of wisdom to Jimmie: “take care of his problem” with Jingles. However, Jimmie resists the pressure to take matters into his own hands, opting instead to seek a peaceful resolution. This decision is put to the test when Jingles forces him to witness a horrific gang rape, leaving Jimmie with no choice but to take drastic action.

In a bold move, Jimmie procures a plexiglas shank and confronts Jingles, with Virgil acting as lookout. Though the authorities are aware of Jimmie’s involvement in the murder, they are unable to prove it, and he is subsequently locked away in a windowless, subterranean solitary confinement cell for three long months.

Upon his release, Jimmie is hailed as a minor hero for ridding the prison of Jingles’ tyranny. However, his troubles are far from over. On the outside, Kate’s pleas for help go unheeded, and she finds herself under siege by Parnell and Scalise. A visit with Fitzgerald yields nothing but empty promises, and it takes Jimmie’s anger and suspicion to push him into confronting these corrupt authorities and demanding they leave Kate alone.

As Jimmie’s release from prison draws near, Virgil imparts some hard-boiled wisdom to his friend: exploit his underworld connections to exact revenge on the detectives who wrongfully incarcerated him. But Jimmie’s craving for freedom and a fresh start is overwhelming, and he joyously reunites with Kate, his love. The harsh realities of prison life have left their mark on Jimmie, causing him to warn Kate that she may not recognize the man she once knew. The reunion is bittersweet, as Jimmie struggles to reconcile his past and present selves.

When Parnell and Scalise, those same detectives who framed him, arrive at his doorstep with a veiled threat to frame him again unless he complies with their demands, Jimmie’s world comes crashing down. He realizes that, as long as these corrupt cops are on the hunt, neither he nor Kate can ever truly be free from their grasp. The thought of dragging his wife into this violent underworld is unbearable for Jimmie, but she stands firm in her conviction that she knows him as a good man driven by necessity.

Kate’s desperation to clear her husband’s name leads her to visit Virgil in prison, where she solicits his help in gathering evidence against the corrupt detectives. With Virgil’s guidance, Kate sets out on a perilous journey to expose the truth and bring justice to those who have been wronged.

As Virgil’s outside connections orchestrate a clever scheme to deceive Parnell and Scalise into dismantling rival drug operations loyal to Donatelli, the two detectives are left feeling vulnerable, their trust shattered by the revelation that these supposedly legitimate dealers are merely pawns in Donatelli’s game. Fearing both the wrath of the mob and the law, Parnell and Scalise resort to a half-hearted effort to seize and destroy the drugs, ultimately deciding to abscond with the majority of the haul and start anew, free from the threats of both their enemies and colleagues.

However, before they can make their escape, they are ambushed by masked marauders, Jimmie and Malcolm (M.C. Gainey), another acquaintance of Virgil’s whose acquaintance Jimmie had forged during his incarceration. As fate would have it, Malcolm’s phone call to Fitzgerald precipitates a sting operation that goes awry when Parnell attacks the pair, forcing Jimmie to surrender the drugs while Malcolm meets a tragic demise at Parnell’s hand.

With Scalise and Parnell facing imminent apprehension, Fitzgerald orchestrates their downfall, only for them to resist arrest with tenacity. In the ensuing chaos, Scalise attempts to flee from Fitzgerald, who defends himself by firing his weapon, ultimately leading to Scalise’s demise as he loses control of his vehicle in a desperate bid to escape.

Fitzgerald, wounded in the confrontation, is then confronted by Jimmie, who pummels Parnell mercilessly until the latter produces a knife. Jimmie wrestles the blade away from Parnell and holds it precariously at his throat, prompting Kate’s impassioned plea for mercy, which eventually persuades Jimmie to abandon Parnell, allowing the authorities to take him into custody.

As the curtain closes on this gritty tale, Kate and Jimmie begin rebuilding their lives, while Parnell, now a convicted felon, is sent to the same penitentiary where Jimmie had once resided. The narrative culminates with Virgil’s taunting cry of “Hey, officer!” echoing through the prison yard, its impact felt by Parnell as he looks up at his former colleague, his face frozen in a mixture of fear and despair.

Meanwhile, Jimmie is seen to have regained his footing, suiting up once more for his airline job and reclaiming his life.