Dealing with the aftermath of gang warfare, Doc and Carlos disagree over reaching out to prevent an eleven year old boy from following his brother into a gang; Bosco's decision to turn the tables on two men who try to rob him when he's off-duty could cost him his badge when the two men turn up at the precinct to report the crime; as he continues his losing streak, Jimmy gets deeper and deeper into his bookie, which puts Joey in danger; Kim begins to worry about how much time she spends with Joey after he gets into trouble at school.

On the hunt for a robbery homicide suspect, the police shake down all young black males they encounter, igniting racial tensions throughout the city. The suspect in question turns out to be Puppet, whose younger brother was killed as a result of Puppet's gang activity despite Doc's attempts to turn him away from the streets. After he's shot by the cops and goes into hiding, Puppet solicits Doc's help by proclaiming his innocence. The ensuing lengths to which Doc goes to get Puppet to the hospital and save his life while avoiding the cops wreak havoc with Doc's relationships with both civilians and the squads.