Ben Sherman is about to complete Phase 2 of his rookie year. During Phase 3, he will be allowed to patrol solo. Detective Adams and Officer Brown are assigned new partners. Rene Cordero, Adams's new partner, is obsessed with receiving glory and press coverage. Their first case involves the search for an elderly man who left his home accompanied by an unknown black man. Brown's new partner, "Slug" Ferguson, quickly demonstrates how he earned that nickname when he starts a riot during a traffic stop. Meanwhile, Detectives Moretta and Bryant investigate a "Sonora shootout" involving a young Mexican man shot dead while driving an unregistered Bentley.