A Case of Deadly Force

*A Case of Deadly Force*
A Case of Deadly Force
Genre	Drama
Written by	Lawrence O'Donnell (book Deadly Force) (as Lawrence O'Donnell Jr.)
Directed by	Michael Miller
Starring	Richard Crenna; John Shea; Lorraine Toussaint; Tate Donovan
Theme music composer	Paul Chihara
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Executive producers	Kenneth Kaufman; Michael Lepiner
Producers	Bruce S. Pustin; Dennis Nemec (co-producer); Lawrence O'Donnell (associate producer) (as Lawrence O'Donnell Jr.)
Production location	Boston
Cinematography	Kees Van Oostrum
Editor	Paul Fried
Running time	95 minutes
Production company	Telecom Entertainment Inc.
Original release
Network	CBS
Release	April 9, 1986

A Case of Deadly Force is an American made-for-TV drama film that was released on April 9, 1986. The movie was shot in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, starring Richard Crenna, John Shea and Dylan Baker. It was adapted from the book Deadly Force by Lawrence O'Donnell.

Plot[edit]

Fact-based story about a 1975 cover-up of an unjustified shooting of a black man by two white members of the Boston Police Tactical Unit. While on stakeout on a suspected getaway car used in an armed robbery, the two gunned down a black man who entered the car. The two claimed the man had a gun and they shot in self-defense. A subsequent Police investigation decided it was a rightful shooting. The man's widow (Lorraine Toussaint) knew her husband - who was a hospital worker - would not be carrying a weapon and became determined to prove her husband's innocence. She hired a former cop (Richard Crenna), who had become a lawyer, to prove her case. Working with his four sons (John Shea, Tate Donovan, Tom Isbell, and Dylan Baker), the lawyer team takes on the police force in what eventually proved to be a landmark legal decision.

Cast[edit]

Richard Crenna as Lawrence O'Donnell Sr.
John Shea as Michael O'Donnell
Lorraine Toussaint as Pat Bowden
Francis X. McCarthy as Hanna (as Frank McCarthy)
Tom Isbell as Billy O'Donnell
Dylan Baker as Kevin O'Donnell
Michael O'Hare as Joe Miller
Tate Donovan as Lawrence O'Donnell Jr.
Anna Maria Horsford as Virginia Cates (as Anna Marie Horsford)
Anthony Heald as Dave O'Brian

External links[edit]

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