| Daniel Price | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Vital statistics | |
| Name | Daniel Price |
| Profession | Pastor of the Salvation Community Church |
| Gender | Male |
| Notability | Once the shot caller of the 28th Street Bloods Killer of Officer Malcolm Reese Brother ran a drug trafficking operation out of his church |
| Played by | Tarik Lowe |
| First appearance | “Hindsight, Part 1” |
| Latest appearance | “Hindsight, Part 5” |
Reverend Daniel "Trigger" Price is a Protestant minister and former gang leader that murdered Officer Malcolm Reese.
History[]
Daniel grew up in the territory of the 28th Street Bloods alongside Greg "Buddha" Mann and Emile "Easy" Fisher. He earned the gang nickname of Trigger. By the time he was an adult, Daniel was a shot caller in the Bloods and best friends with Emile. According to Buddha, Daniel both dealt and did drugs with his drug use causing Daniel to do crazy things.
In 2004, due to his drug use, Daniel, accompanied by Emile with Emile's girlfriend Tamika Weaver in the car, robbed a flower shop. While Daniel emptied the register and covered the customers with an Uzi, Emile stole the customers' watches and wallets. In doing so, Emile discovered that one was an off-duty police officer named Malcolm Reese. Following the discovery, Daniel and Emile dragged Reese into the backroom and Daniel "blew Reese's head off" with his Uzi. Moments later, Tamika honked the horn of their getaway car outside and the two men fled the flower shop. They ditched Daniel's Uzi, but Emile was so high when he did so that he would not correctly remember the location. Daniel and Emile also ditched the stolen wallets in a dumpster blocks from the flower shop, but forgot to wipe them clean of their fingerprints.
Within days, the LAPD located the stolen wallets and found Daniel and Emile's fingerprints on them. Daniel was arrested for Reese's murder while Emile went on the run. From prison, Daniel contacted his younger brother Dennis to get rid of the getaway car and some of the evidence against him. Following Daniel's orders, Dennis forced Buddha, who owned a chop shop, to tear apart the getaway car.
Emile was eventually arrested and while Daniel refused to talk, Emile agreed to take a deal of twelve years in prison in exchange for his testimony against Daniel. However, due to how high Emile was at the time of the murder, he was unable to give the police the correct location of Daniel's Uzi and they were unable to recover it. As well, Detective Mark Hickman committed perjury and lied on the stand that Daniel spontaneously confessed to him that he murdered Reese. With Hickman's partner Michael Tao exposing Hickman's lies, his testimony was discredited and the case against Daniel was damaged. Furthermore, during the trial the prosecutor, DDA Rachel Gray and her bodyguard Eric Dunn were murdered with Daniel's Uzi. While the police suspected that Daniel ordered the murders from prison to ruin his trial, they could never prove it. Hickman's perjury and the murders of Rachel and Eric resulted in Daniel getting acquitted of murdering Officer Reese. During the trial, Dennis never once came to support his brother.
Following Daniel's acquittal, the murders of Officer Reese, Rachel Gray and Eric Dunn would become known as the Reese Murders. Though the police knew Daniel murdered Reese, they couldn't prove it nor could they prove he had a connection to the other two murders. The Reese Murders would go unsolved as a result.
Possibly because of his arrest for murdering Officer Reese and the fear it instilled in him, Daniel underwent a genuine religious conversion and gave up a life of crime for a life of religion. Daniel got clean and cut all criminal ties with the gang. Daniel eventually became Reverend Daniel Price, the minister of the Salvation Community Church in his old neighborhood. Around 2009 or so, Daniel's brother Dennis apparently underwent a similar religious conversion and became the church's Youth Minister. Daniel put a genuine effort towards making his community a better place, taking care of the poor and providing the local teenagers a safe place from the gangs. The LAPD, aware of Daniel's work but not believing it to be genuine, came to call him Reverend Cop Killer for his murder of Officer Reese.
Unknown to Daniel, his brother Dennis took advantage of Daniel's religious conversion and departure from gang life to take charge of the 28th Street Bloods for himself. Unlike Daniel, Dennis faked his religious conversion and began using Daniel's job as the pastor of Salvation Community Church to his advantage. Dennis began using Daniel's church to run a drug trafficking operation that gave Dennis considerable influence over both the Bloods and the Diablos gangs and he used the altar of Daniel's church to hide his drugs. The Narcotics Division of the LAPD was aware of the drugs being dealt through Daniel's church and believed him to be involved, but they could never prove it. They were also unable to get a warrant to search the church.
In 2016, twelve years after the Reese Murders, Daniel's old friend Emile Fisher was released from prison after serving out his entire sentence. Though Emile contacted Daniel, the phone call ended in an argument between the two former best friends.
Two weeks after Emile's release, Tamika Weaver and her three year old son Jeremiah Barnes were murdered in an apparent act of gang violence. Outraged by what he saw as indifference by the LAPD, Daniel held a press conference the next morning in which he called upon the gangs to not take up violence and demanded answers from the LAPD for their slow response time.
Through shell casings from the murder weapon, the LAPD was able to link Tamika's murder to the Uzi from the Reese Murders and thus Daniel who they immediately suspected of being the killer or having ordered the killing. As well, teenage drug dealer Jesus "Lil Wheezy" Marquez identified Daniel's church as where Tamika got the heroin that was found in her car at the time of her murder. The Major Crimes Division called in Daniel for questioning and he arrived accompanied by lawyer Peter Goldman, an old enemy of Major Crimes. Daniel truthfully explained how he last saw Tamika at the church's Taco Monday before her murder and stated that he was not so depraved as to deal drugs out of a house of God. Despite being presented with several pieces of evidence that drugs are dealt out of his church, Daniel refuses to believe it. However, against Goldman's wishes, Daniel gives the police consent to search his church for drugs.
While the drug search fails to turn up anything due to Dennis and the Bloods moving the drugs, the drug dogs go crazy at the altar and lead the police to the Uzi used in the murders. After the Uzi is confirmed as the murder weapon, Daniel and Goldman are once more called in. Daniel continues to insist that he is no longer a gangster due to his religious conversion and is confronted with the Uzi. Though Goldman tries to get Daniel to leave once he realizes that the LAPD found no drugs, Daniel insists on staying to help.
Daniel is surprised to learn that the Uzi is the same from the Reese Murders, but Goldman counters with the fact that the church has an open door policy and that anyone could have planted it. Daniel supplies his alibi of having been holding a lock-in with the local teenagers at the time of Tamika's murder and points out that he can call in many witnesses to confirm it. Daniel informs the police of his argument with Emile following his release from prison and Goldman reminds them of the fact that Emile also has a history with the gun.
The LAPD investigation into the murders start pointing more and more towards Daniel as running a drug trafficking operation and committing the murders or ordering them. Detective Stephanie Dunn is able to get her hands on some of the heroin trafficked out of Daniel's church while Emile is murdered shortly after the detectives pressure him for the identity of the third person in the flower shop robbery.
At the time of the murder of Emile, Daniel is preparing for Tamika's funeral with the help of Dennis. Out of compassion, Daniel pulls his community together to gather the $10,000 bail for Tamika's boyfriend Jon Barnes so that he can attend the funeral of Tamika and his son Jeremiah. However, Barnes goes on to murder three Latino teenagers in retaliation for the murder of Tamika. Following Barnes' murders, Daniel is asked by Assistant Chief Taylor to delay Tamika's funeral due to the likelihood of the Diablos retaliating for Barnes' murders. Despite Goldman's antagonism towards the LAPD, Daniel recognizes the wisdom behind the request and compromises by agreeing to delay the procession and burial until after things calm down. While Daniel refuses to delay the funeral itself, he agrees to allow the LAPD to attend and provide protection.
At Tamika's funeral, the Diablos fail to make a move and Barnes doesn't show up. Daniel is able to conduct the funeral in peace, but afterwards, the killer's cell phone is discovered in Goldman's car. Because Daniel rode with Goldman to the PAB that morning, he is suspected of having dropped the phone in the car, further evidence against Daniel for the LAPD.
After the funeral, when Daniel returns to his office, he is confronted by a drunk Mark Hickman who is convinced that Daniel is the one trafficking drugs out of his church and the killer. At gunpoint, Hickman demands that Daniel list everyone that he has ever killed for Hickman. Taking his Bible in hand, Daniel claims to be ready to meet Jesus and begins praying. At point-blank range, Hickman threatens Daniel's life and demands that he confess. Finally, Daniel confesses to Hickman that he did murder Officer Reese, but insists that Reese was the only person that he murdered to a disbelieving Hickman.
As the confrontation continues, Detective Amy Sykes and Lieutenant Andy Flynn arrive looking for Daniel after finding the killer's phone in Goldman's car. Seeing Daniel's life in danger, the two demand that Hickman surrender and threatened to shoot him if he fails to comply. Despite his life being in danger, Daniel calls out for Sykes and Andy not to shoot Hickman, stating his belief that Hickman is drunk. Hickman ultimately surrenders and is arrested on charges of attempted murder in regards to Daniel.
Despite Hickman recording Daniel's confession, it is inadmissible in court given the circumstances and Daniel can't be charged again for murdering Officer Reese regardless. After realizing that Tamika was the third person from the flower shop robbery and that Buddha likely got rid of the getaway car, Buddha is questioned on the aftermath of Officer Reese's murder. In exchange for full immunity, Buddha confirms Daniel as Officer Reese's killer and explains how Daniel's drug use at the time led to his actions. Buddha fills the police in on the events of the night that he tore apart the getaway car for Daniel and the fact that its Dennis who is running the drug trafficking operation, not Daniel.
After the death of Jon Barnes by SIS Lieutenant Chuck Cooper in self-defense after Barnes had a shootout with Dennis, the LAPD are left with mounting evidence pointing to Daniel's innocence in all but the murder of Officer Reese and Dennis' guilt in the drug trafficking and potentially the other murders. Furthermore, they find evidence that Peter Goldman is actually working for Dennis to protect his drug operation. The decision is made to trust Daniel despite his previous actions and he is called in while Dennis is being interrogated under the guise of a "courtesy briefing."
While going to pay a fine for Dennis, Goldman spots Daniel in the conference room and attempts to pull Daniel out so that he won't learn the truth. However, Daniel's attention is caught after Captain Sharon Raydor informs him that they have arrested Dennis following a shootout with Jon Barnes. Daniel resists Goldman's efforts to get him to leave and hears the LAPD out. To Daniel's shock, the LAPD accuses Goldman of working for Dennis in protecting the drug trafficking operation that Dennis is running out of Daniel's church. Though Daniel is initially disbelieving, the LAPD provides him with proof that the motel room in which they found Barnes and forty bricks of heroin was paid for by a credit card owned by Dennis. They also provide him with proof that Dennis rented out several other motel rooms just before Daniel gave them permission to search his church.
As Goldman attempts to get Daniel to leave, he is presented with evidence that Dennis hired Goldman to protect Barnes and six other drug dealers following their arrests. Daniel confronts Goldman and demands to know the truth, refusing to listen to Goldman's attempts to convince him that the police are lying. After Goldman is unable to answer Daniel's direct question if he is working for Dennis to protect the drug dealers in his community, Daniel realizes that the police are right and fires Goldman on the spot. Before leaving, Goldman tells Daniel that all he has done is protect Daniel's work and warns Daniel to be quiet, claiming that the LAPD means to do Daniel and his community harm and may well succeed without Goldman there to help Daniel.
Now no longer blinded by Goldman's lies, Daniel is presented with more evidence that Dennis is using his church to traffic heroin: Buddha's statement of facts given in exchange for immunity and entry into the Witness Protection Program. Though Daniel no longer trusts Goldman, he also doesn't trust the police and has a hard time knowing whether or not he can be sure about Dennis trafficking drugs through his church. Sharon tells Daniel that the only way to be sure is for Daniel to have a heart-to-heart conversation with Dennis. The police are able to convince Daniel to confront Dennis to learn if he really is trafficking drugs and murdered everyone in the case. Daniel also agrees to wear a small camera so that the LAPD can watch the confrontation.
The next day, after praying for the strength to do the right thing, Daniel sets himself up in his office to await Dennis' arrival. Dennis arrives shortly thereafter, enraged at what Daniel has done. Though Dennis tells Daniel to just recite the Bible at reporters while Dennis cleans up the mess Daniel made when he allowed the police to search the church, Daniel insists that he has nothing to hide and demands to know if Dennis does and for answers about the things that the LAPD has told him. Though Dennis tries to dissuade Daniel from asking questions, Daniel presses on and finally gets Dennis to explain. To Daniel's disgust and horror, Dennis confesses to trafficking drugs through Daniel's church, adding that he makes sure that Daniel gets ten percent to fund the church. Dennis goes on to confess that he is in control of both of the gangs as a result and kept them from a gang war until Daniel released Jon Barnes.
Barely able to hold back his disgust and outrage at Dennis' actions, Daniel questions his brother about the murders, but Dennis denies having anything to do with the murders of Tamika and her child. Dennis points out that he would not be so stupid as to remove the drugs but to leave the Uzi behind. Daniel questions Dennis about the murders of Rachel Gray and Eric Dunn, but is told that Dennis also had nothing to do with them. To Daniel's even further horror, Dennis calls Daniel's arrest for Officer Reese's murder the best thing that ever happened to him as it gave Dennis control of the 28th Street Bloods. As Dennis describes his depravities and states that the brother he grew up with would be proud of him, Daniel descends into tears and states that he pities Dennis who is going to Hell. Dennis threatens to send Daniel there first if he causes him any trouble and leaves. Removing his camera, Daniel descends into full crying, horrified by what Dennis has become and done and his own role in it.
Thanks to Daniel confronting Dennis on camera, the LAPD is able to gather a significant amount of evidence on Dennis' drug trafficking operation with which to ultimately shut it down and arrest Dennis. Dennis' comments to Daniel lead the police to follow the taco truck used by the church and to seize Dennis' next shipment of drugs. They also determine that neither of the Price brothers are responsible for the murders, having believed Dennis about his claims of innocence.
Detective Stephanie Dunn is eventually exposed as the killer of Rachel Gray, Eric Dunn, Tamika Weaver, Jeremiah Barnes and Emile Fisher and is arrested for those murders. Though the LAPD are able to now tie Daniel to the murder of Officer Reese thanks to Buddha's statement, his acquittal means that Daniel cannot be retried for the murder and he is left free, albeit with the truth now known.
Known Victims[]
- Officer Malcolm Reese (shot with an Uzi)