A Misstep Before Retirement

With only a week left before retirement, LAPD Sergeant Roger Murtaugh found himself once again entangled in an unexpected assignment. Alongside his long-time partner, Sergeant Martin Riggs, a failed attempt to disarm a bomb in an office building resulted in their temporary demotion to street patrol. While wearing uniforms and patrolling the city, the pair witnessed an armored car robbery in progress. They intervened, with help from the armored car driver Delores, and successfully stopped the heist. One suspect escaped, but the other was captured.

The apprehended suspect was soon identified as a known associate of Jack Travis, a former LAPD lieutenant who had turned to a life of crime. Travis had been operating an illegal arms smuggling ring within Los Angeles. What stood out in the case was the type of ammunition used—armor-piercing rounds, which were rare and extremely dangerous. Due to the severity of the case, Riggs and Murtaugh were reinstated and assigned to work alongside Internal Affairs Sergeant Lorna Cole.

Escalating Stakes

Meanwhile, Travis continued to conduct business with local criminal figures, including a mobster named Tyrone. After learning that one of the robbers had been arrested, Travis executed the other thief to ensure silence. Utilizing his old police credentials, he gained access to the LAPD station and murdered the suspect in custody before any information could be extracted. What he did not anticipate was that the department had recently installed closed-circuit cameras.

Footage from the station’s surveillance system confirmed Travis’s presence. As Cole, Riggs, and Murtaugh reviewed the video, their friend Leo Getz arrived unexpectedly. Leo had been assisting Murtaugh with selling his house but immediately recognized Travis from a past real estate deal. This connection prompted a visit to a local hockey game where Travis was expected to appear. A confrontation ensued, and while Travis escaped, Leo was injured in the crossfire. He later mentioned a warehouse owned by Travis, suggesting it could be the location where arms shipments were stored.

Personal Loss and Professional Resolve

The trio planned a raid on the warehouse, but while waiting for Cole to join them, Riggs and Murtaugh stopped at a nearby food truck. During their brief break, they witnessed an illegal drug deal and intervened. Gunfire was exchanged, and Murtaugh shot and killed one of the gunmen. To his shock, the deceased was Darryl, a childhood friend of his son Nick. The emotional weight of the incident hit Murtaugh hard, and he isolated himself aboard his boat. Riggs later found him drinking alone and helped him confront the guilt and confusion he felt.

While Riggs and Cole carried out the warehouse raid successfully, a more intimate connection formed between them later that evening. As the case intensified, Cole traced the weapons and bullets recovered to a police inventory list. It was determined that the weapons had originally been stored for destruction but had been stolen by Travis. His access credentials were immediately revoked.

A Network Exposed

The investigation turned toward Tyrone, who was brought in for questioning. Under pressure, he revealed that an auto garage served as a front for Travis’s operation. Riggs, Murtaugh, and Cole raided the garage and arrested several of Travis’s associates. However, Travis was already executing his next move.

Travis forced Captain Murphy at gunpoint to assist him in accessing another police arms storage facility. He had arranged for a hacker to breach the department’s system and retrieve the location. Cole noticed the system breach and, discovering Murphy’s disappearance, joined Riggs, Murtaugh, and a rookie officer named Edwards in pursuit. The confrontation ended with Murphy being rescued, but Edwards was tragically killed during the shootout.

The Final Confrontation

Shortly afterward, Leo delivered a key piece of information—a housing development owned by a shell company linked to Travis. It was suspected to be a base for his final shipment. That night, Riggs, Murtaugh, and Cole infiltrated the construction site. A gunfight erupted, resulting in multiple casualties among Travis’s men. During the chaos, Cole was wounded.

In the final showdown, Travis used a bulldozer to shield himself behind the heavy steel blade while charging at Riggs. Murtaugh, quick-thinking and determined, tossed Riggs the same gun used in the earlier tragedy—the one that killed Darryl. It had been reloaded with armor-piercing rounds. With one well-aimed shot, Riggs fired through the bulldozer blade and fatally struck Travis.

Cole, who had worn double layers of body armor, survived the shooting. Before she was airlifted from the scene, Riggs confessed his love for her, marking a rare moment of vulnerability.

Closure and Commitment

The following day, Murtaugh’s family gathered to celebrate his retirement. Despite months of preparation, Murtaugh made a last-minute decision. He informed Leo that he had changed his mind about selling the house and would be staying with the police force. The events of the past week had reaffirmed his sense of duty and his loyalty to his partner. His retirement would be postponed. The partnership between Riggs and Murtaugh would continue—unchanged, and unbroken.