The District

The third-season opener picks up where the sophomore year ended, with Mannion struggling for his life after being shot on his boat and falling overboard into the Potomac River. As he tries to pull himself ashore, his would-be assassin, the daughter of the Russian mobster Putin, flees the scene and is hit by a car. While the accident reveals that Mannion is missing, the chief keeps his survival a secret to figure out who's behind the shooting. Deputy Chief Noland receives immediate pressure from an aggressive U.S. attorney general to solve the case, while a new press secretary tries to keep matters from spinning out of control.

Mannion, who is presumed to be dead, pops up in Paris to follow the Government official he believes is behind the attempt on his life. Mannion discovers Undersecretary Adam Witton planned his murder, but top politicians lean on Mannion to drop the investigation. Back in Washington, D.C., Temple is stopped for speeding, and an officer finds cocaine in the car, but Temple claims the drugs are evidence he obtained at a crime scene and forgot to turn in.

Mannion goes head-to-head with the U.S. Attorney General and a tough civil-rights lawyer in an emotionally charged episode about child pornography. The investigation into the murder of an 11-year-old girl turns up the child's photo on a porn site, prompting Mannion to seek help from Attorney General Hatcher to toughen legislation against Internet child pornography. But Hatcher has an agenda of his own. In other cases, a congressman asks the chief to look into a case involving the alleged accidental death of his son, and a high-profile lawyer accuses an officer of using excessive force.

Temple and Debreno probe the death of an ex-con after he crashes a stolen BMW with $180,000 in its trunk. Afterward, Mannion and his men began an investigation to prevent the dead guy's old girlfriend from being killed. A contract killer that killed one of Mannion's friends in New York 25 years ago is the hired killer they're looking for, but the woman they are protecting is behind the plan to kill her current husband and keep the money. It's Jack's second and final chance to catch the hitman. Mannion hires a personal wedding dress designer for Ella, who has second thoughts about her marriage. Nancy is diagnosed with Huntington's disease after falling from a fire escape and suffering a concussion while chasing a criminal.

Deputy Chief Noland gets caught up in a crime when he stops at a convenience store to buy ice cream. During a struggle, Noland shoots a college student he believes is about to rob the convenience store with a gun. But the ensuing investigation doesn't turn up a weapon. Soon, Internal Affairs demands Noland's suspension, but Mannion refuses to take his badge. Also, the student's wealthy parents threaten to bring charges against Noland. Also, Temple and Debreno uncover a string of armed robberies at convenience stores.

A reporter accuses Mannion of committing a war crime in Vietnam 32 years ago by ordering 18 innocent civilians to be killed, and one of the chief's fellow soldiers confirms the story. Also, Temple and Debreno search for a 15-year-old boy they suspect is planning a murder for his gang initiation.

Former heavyweight champion and native son Atticus King returns to Washington, D.C., for a title bout. His wife is found murdered in their hotel penthouse. The first officer on the scene, Temple, comes under suspicion because of a past relationship with the victim, whom her husband habitually abused. Also, a custodial worker at the police department is discovered to have a false identity.

On Christmas Eve: Temple and Debreno hunt for three dwarfs disguised as elves who robbed a Salvation Army truck and were responsible for other thefts in the area. A billy goat who was part of a real-life nativity scene goes missing. Mannion is determined to fulfill "Santa's" promise to an 8-year-old boy to get his mom out of jail. Parras becomes attached to an abandoned newborn. Ella has a gift-giving mix-up.

Mannion tells Jenny McLure how Temple and Debreno arrested her brother while she was waiting for her final day. Jenny is dying from AIDS, and Mannion makes sure her last days pass with company and happiness. The cocaine found at Lester's apartment is missing, and Parras becomes the target of the investigation into who switched the coke with sugar. They can't put Lester away without the evidence, but his pistol matches numerous murder scenes. Finally, Chief Mannion finds the mole who swapped the coke for the sugar and sends Lester to jail. Unfortunately, Jenny doesn't live to see the following day: she passes away before Mannion's rally to raise people's awareness of the danger and prevention of AIDS and honor her legacy.

One of Vanessa Cavanaugh's students, Bill Wallace, commits what she taught to be a perfect murder. No evidence, no witnesses. After the murderer confesses his crime to Page and Debreno, he recants and starts to play with Mannion, who can't charge him since the confession wasn't recorded. Mannion is out to get him for the murder of the father of three children. Page and Debreno find evidence linking the suspect to the murder scene. Meanwhile, Parras works on a Jane Doe case and discovers the victim's estranged mother; and Kendall finds it difficult to end her relationship with a married man.

A doctor reporting a crime sees Brander bring in a foreign criminal with a very suspicious disease, which she thinks might be Ebola. Instantly Police headquarters is put in quarantine. Without being able to get out, Mannion has to count on Ella, who was at home preparing for her wedding, to keep the order while he breaks through Brander's isolation bubble to save his life. Meanwhile, Debreno drives in the snow to find a delirious Temple, who was exposed to the bacteria and might be contaminated with what was later discovered to be a harmless African flu. The next day they all attend Ella's wedding, where Ricky calls her "mom" for the first time.

While in L.A., Mannion unexpectedly meets up with Vanessa Cavanaugh and offers her a ride. Unfortunately, the pair find themselves stranded in a deserted part of town after their rental gets carjacked. Back in Washington, Deputy Mayor Lockhart asks Debreno to help her find a blackmailer who has a scandalous videotape that could destroy her career; Kendall is threatened by her ex-boyfriend; and the mayor offers Ella a job.

Debreno is assigned to protect a country singer, scheduled to sing at the Kennedy Center Honors, who's receiving death threats. Elsewhere, to lead by example, Mannion hits the streets as a uniformed cop to make quality-of-life arrests on charges such as disorderly conduct, gambling, and prostitution. But one of his arrests sparks a chain of events that leads to the reopening of a cold-case murder.

Mannion's uncle, a retired New York City cop, visits and immediately gets involved in a murder case/jewelry heist and pushes his nephew to pursue all possible leads. Meanwhile, Debreno and Nancy transport a woman who witnessed a fatal shooting to Chicago, where she will testify and go into witness protection. But, she persuades her escorts to let her first visit her estranged daughter.

After a shrinking budget forces Mannion to lay off officers, he takes on a powerful city commissioner in charge of city streets he believes is partly responsible for the cutbacks. But the move upsets the mayor, who then looks for an excuse to fire the chief. Also, a congressional witness in a corporate fraud trial claims key case documents were stolen from his hotel room, and Nancy and Brander are injured in an accident while pursuing a suspect.

After a black prostitute is murdered with the inscription "Respect the Order" attached to her body, Mannion and his team start a deep investigation that leads to a racial criminal who started serial killing African-Americans involved with white people. Meanwhile, Parras sees her father arrested for requesting the services of a prostitute and has to face her own family problems. Temple helps a friend detox from heroin, and Ella investigates a suspicious fire that could promote a heroic police officer but ends up being the reason for his arrest.
 

The mayor is more determined to remove Mannion from office after a man is arrested and dies while in custody, apparently due to an officer's failure to follow proper procedures. Police brutality is suspected. Things get even more intense between the two rivals when the mayor's mentally disturbed son goes missing after being taken to a hospital by two cops.

After a video of Brander arresting a drug addict is made public and turned into an abuse of power issue, the Mayor demands Mannion fire Brander, which he refuses to do since the man was found innocent. Instantly, a major riot breaks out in D.C., with the citizens protesting and attacking the police, demanding that Brander be fired for alleged police brutality. Several police cars are bombed and set on fire, and Nancy rescues an officer from an angry riot. He's badly injured and asks her out when he comes by to pick up his dog. Meanwhile, Temple witnesses his friend Reese die while trying to find the man who shot him. Mannion tries to save Brander, but he turns in his badge when he can no longer live with his guilt. Unfortunately, the mayor taped Mannion's conversation with Brander over the phone and fired him for obstruction of justice. Clive calls Mannion late at night, saying that Ella died unexpectedly.

After beloved Ella Farmer dies unexpectedly, all the members of the police department pay tribute to her, remembering all the hard work and effort she put into her job. They pray together and miss her, knowing she'll be forever in their hearts and no one can ever replace her as Mannion's right arm. Clive allows the donation of Ella's heart to a young man in need. Mannion attends Ella's funeral, where he decides to leave the capital for good. Temple and Debreno hunt for an elusive killer.

Without a job and his best friend Ella, Jack takes off for Arizona to play some golf, but even without his badge, he can't stop solving crimes. He gets involved in a scheme of dirty cops with Mexican dealers and crosses the border to catch the dealer, which he does. Meanwhile, back in D.C., Cavanaugh and Sherry team up to trace Jack, and Cavanaugh discovers something that might save Jack's job. Nancy investigates on her own and finds that the guy that died on Brander's watch was injured before their encounter, which could clear Brander. Temple and Debreno set up a scheme with Cashmere Brown to bust Lester Richards, who is shot to death by Temple.