Question about how this would happen in my story.

[harmonica44]

In a lot of movies, the detective is kicked off the case, for some reason then goes out and solves it on his own, proving he was right all along. He also ends up going to where ever the bad guys are, alone, and kills them in self defense, usually.

How would that look realistically though? You were kicked off the case, then you follow a trail of evidence, kick down, doors, without legal warrants or anything, and then go off somewhere. Next thing your superiors know is that you call them, and tell them you found the real perps, only you had to kill them in self defense, and all the evidence you gathered to get to them, all on your own, was gathered, without legal warrant.

For my script I need to know what would happen in real life, after the fact, and a lot of movies don't really deal with the aftermath. I'm guessing of course he would be in at least some trouble, but the question is what exactly, for the third act of my script to play out, and how he would deal with it?

 

[harmonica44]

I thought of that but since he is working outside the law, he doesn't have time to wait for the villain to come to the building knowing how long that could take. It could be days or weeks, and since the villains are in hiding, but are wanting to commit certain viscous crimes, the hero would have to wait till after the villain committed those murders, before he returned to the office, and he doesn't want to wait around, while more people get hurt. But maybe it could work if he decides to only give it a couple of days at most, or something. I'll rethink it and see if it can.

 

[ScottO]

I thought of that but since he is working outside the law, he doesn't have time to wait for the villain to come to the building knowing how long that could take. It could be days or weeks, and since the villains are in hiding, but are wanting to commit certain viscous crimes, the hero would have to wait till after the villain committed those murders, before he returned to the office, and he doesn't want to wait around, while more people get hurt. But maybe it could work if he decides to only give it a couple of days at most, or something. I'll rethink it and see if it can.

Have your hero start a fire at the villain's office building. That should make the villain (or his lackey) come a-running to check on the status of his Macguffin.

 

[harmonica44]

Yes, the hero does something like that. He doesn't have a henchman watching the Macguffin, but perhaps that's a good idea. Thanks, I'll rethink it.

 

[arrodiii]

If you are looking at the legal technicalities of things, I wouldn't ask a cop - they only enforce the law. If I were you, I'd go and speak with a criminal lawyer who might be able to provide you with a more legal-centric view of the technicalities of the law

 

[CHamburger]

This comes from years and years of lawyering and fillibustering but what would happen to a vigilante cop is he'd most likely be thrown off the force, no pension and his wife would leave him for the lieutenant. Maybe not the last thing but the first two. As for charges on the "self defense" most prosecutors in a case will take the side of a cop so its not likely they'd investigate deeply, maybe just for show. Its all up to the specifics. If in your story he has no trace he killed the guys and they mysteriously all died in a torched hideout then he's good. If he is found at the building holding a gas can he'd go to jail, if he's wounded but still at the site, he'd be a hero. Being thrown off a case doesn't mean its illegal to still investigate. Its similar to going against your boss who said don't use personal emails during work. He'd probably go on vacation. Just so you know realism doesn't often sit well with an audience that wants to be entertained by a gripping story. just be careful

 

[harmonica44]

Yeah thanks. Some thrillers are accused of being too fake, so I to keep it right in the good middle.