The One-Niners and Spookstreet Souljahs are on the brink of war after a drive-by shooting and retaliation leaves 5 gang members dead. Monica's first official day as Captain of the Barn begins with a speech that addresses the implementation of property seizures and a new gang task force headed by Vic. Monica must rely on Vic to find the catalyst of the gang war and figure out how to end the bloodshed. Meanwhile, Dutch and Claudette are assigned an elementary case which involves a convenience store robber using hot coffee to disarm clerks and steal their money.
The Shield breaks the conventional formula of the cop genre. It plays out in a tough, morally ambiguous world in which the line between good and bad is crossed ever day. The series focuses on the tension between a group of corrupt but effective cops and a captain torn between bringing them down and advancing his own political ambitions.
The Shield stars rogue cop "Det. Vic Mackey", leader of the elite Strike Team unit, who is effective at eliminating crime but who operates under his own set of rules. "Captain David Aceveda", the young precinct head who doesn't like Mackey's tactics and wants to bust him off the force. And "Det. Claudette Wyms", a veteran detective who understands Mackey and knows how to play both sides of the fence.