Cop Land 1997

In the quaint town of Garrison, New Jersey, nestled on the banks of the Hudson River opposite Manhattan, a unique dynamic exists where local residents and NYPD officers coexist. Sheriff Freddy Heflin (Sylvester Stallone), crippled by the selfless act that saved Liz Randone’s (Annabella Sciorra) life from a devastating car crash, harbors an unrequited love for her. The rescue came at a personal cost for Heflin, sacrificing his hearing in one ear and rendering him ineligible to join the ranks of his peers who opted for NYPD careers, including Liz’s husband Joey Randone (Peter Berg), whose own reputation is marred by infidelity.

Meanwhile, Murray “Superboy” Babitch (Michael Rapaport), nephew of Lieutenant Ray Donlan (Harvey Keitel), leaves a raucous bachelor party at Scores in Manhattan, only to encounter misfortune when his car collides with a discarded beer bottle. As he navigates the George Washington Bridge, his vehicle is sideswiped by two African-American teenagers. Babitch attempts to force them to pull over, but after perceiving a potential threat from the passenger, he mistakenly believes they’ve fired at him and retaliates. The subsequent accident claims the lives of both teens.

The investigation that follows reveals Jack Rucker’s (Robert Patrick) attempt to plant a weapon in the teens’ vehicle, an act designed to justify Babitch’s shooting. A paramedic seizes the planted gun and tosses it over the bridge’s edge, sparking a brief altercation before order is restored. As the repercussions of Babitch’s actions loom large, he turns to Donlan for guidance and ultimately agrees to feign his own suicide. During the commotion surrounding the planted gun, Ray fabricates a story that Babitch has taken his own life by jumping off the bridge.

As corrupt police officers, including Detective Leo Crasky (John Spencer) and Frank Lagonda (Arthur Nascarella), grow increasingly concerned that Babitch may resurface to expose their corruption to Internal Affairs, Donlan’s concerns are palpable. Meanwhile, as Ray cruises through radar patrol with his partner Cindy Betts (Janeane Garofalo), they pull him over for speeding. Ray attempts to strong-arm his way out of a ticket, but Heflin’s leniency allows him to escape unscathed. Just as Ray speeds off into the night, Freddy notices Babitch’s head poking out from the back seat, a harbinger of the turmoil that is yet to come.

As Internal Affairs investigator Lt. Moe Tilden (Robert De Niro) presses Heflin for information on the corrupt cops who call his town home, the latter’s reluctance to betray his associates derails Tilden’s investigation and emboldens the department’s superiors, who are inextricably linked to the corrupt officers, to order Tilden to shut down the case. The apparent success of the Babitch cover-up is short-lived, as Patrolmen’s Defense Association President Vincent Lassaro (Frank Vincent) warns that without a body, the case will remain perpetually cold. Reluctantly acknowledging this reality, Ray is driven to make a devastating decision: his nephew must be eliminated. Under the guise of a raucous party at his home, Ray, Jack, and Frank conspire to drown Babitch in his hot tub. However, as the would-be victim grabs a pistol he had secretly stashed away, fires off several shots just as Joe Randone arrives at the gathering, and makes his escape into the night. Seeking refuge at Freddy’s abode, Babitch is met with indifference by Freddy’s friend and fellow NYPD officer Gary “Figgsy” Figgis (Ray Liotta), prompting him to flee once more.

Later that evening, while on patrol, Joey Randone finds himself embroiled in a violent confrontation with a suspect and is subsequently thrown off a rooftop. As he clings desperately to an TV aerial and pleads for assistance, Donlan’s deliberate stalling in response to Randone’s past infidelity with his wife proves fatal. By the time the squad arrives at the scene, Randone has fallen to his death.

As Freddy comes to terms with the gravity of his mistake, he visits Tilden only to be met with seething anger, as the investigator reveals that the case was irreparably compromised by Freddy’s failure to cooperate sooner. As Freddy departs, he can’t help but notice a plethora of NYPD files detailing the department’s corruption and decides to pilfer them. Upon studying the stolen documents, Freddy is shocked to discover the true extent of his friends’ corruption. Meanwhile, Deputy Cindy Betts becomes disillusioned with the town’s descent into chaos and ultimately decides to leave Garrison, disheartened by the New York City cops’ apparent takeover of their community.

As Freddy returns home to find Figgsy packing up to leave, he’s met with a shocking revelation: his friend had orchestrated a devastating act of arson, burning down their own house in a misguided attempt to collect insurance money. The tragic consequence is the loss of Monica (Mel Gorham), Figgsy’s crack-addicted girlfriend, who met her untimely demise in the inferno. Meanwhile, Heflin has successfully convinced Rose to spill the beans about Babitch’s whereabouts, leading him and his team to apprehend the fugitive at Garrison’s jail. In a display of compassion, Heflin permits Deputy Bill Geisler (Noah Emmerich) to head home and tend to his pregnant wife, as the officer is visibly shaken by the prospect of protecting Babitch.

Undeterred, Heflin endeavors to transport Babitch to New York City, where he plans to hand over the prisoner to Tilden. However, Lagonda, Donlan, and Rucker intercept them, leading to a violent confrontation that leaves Freddy severely injured. Rucker’s cruel act of firing his gun next to Freddy’s good ear results in permanent hearing loss and a crippling sense of vulnerability.

On foot and struggling to comprehend the world around him, Heflin embarks on a perilous journey to track down Lagonda and her cohorts. He engages in a fierce gunfight with Ray’s henchmen at Donlan’s residence, emerging victorious after taking down Jack and Frank. Though he’s subsequently shot in the shoulder by Leo Crasky, Figgsy arrives just in time to eliminate the threat and save Freddy.

As Heflin tends to his wounds, Figgsy manages to sneak up behind Babitch and prevent him from making a daring escape attempt through a window. Meanwhile, Donlan sneaks up on Heflin, only to be met with a hail of gunfire that ultimately proves fatal. As the dying Donlan spews obscenities, Freddy responds with a simple yet poignant retort: “I can’t hear you, Ray.”

In the aftermath of this brutal confrontation, Figgsy and Heflin personally escort Babitch to New York City and Internal Affairs, refusing to relinquish their prisoner to any other law enforcement agency. Tilden ultimately takes custody of the prisoner, and after a thorough investigation yields indictments, Freddy is left to reflect on his ordeal.

As he recovers his hearing in his good ear, Heflin finds himself gazing out at the Manhattan skyline from across the Hudson River, symbolizing a new beginning. Deputy Geisler then notifies him about a jack-knifed truck blocking traffic, prompting Freddy to return to work and face the challenges that lie ahead.