Editing The Negotiator (section)

==Plot==
[[Chicago Police Department|Chicago Police]] Lieutenant Danny Roman is a top [[hostage negotiator]] for the east precinct. His partner, Nate Roenick, warns him that an informant inside the department suspects members of their own unit have [[embezzlement|embezzled]] millions from the police disability fund. Roenick is shot dead, and Roman is lured to the scene and discovered by the police, but is unable to corroborate Roenick's story or identify the informant.

Roman is targeted by [[Internal affairs (law enforcement)|Internal Affairs]] Inspector Terence Niebaum, whom Roenick's informant believed was involved in the embezzlement. The murder weapon is recovered and linked to one of Roman's cases, and a search of his home produces evidence of an incriminating [[offshore bank]] account, making him the prime suspect in the embezzlement and Roenick's death. Forced to surrender his gun and badge, ostracized by his colleagues, and with charges against him pending, Roman storms into Niebaum's office to confront him, and takes Niebaum, his administrative assistant Maggie, Roman's commander and friend Grant Frost, and [[con artist|con man]] Rudy Timmons as hostages.

With the building evacuated and placed under siege by his own unit and the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]], Roman will only speak to fellow negotiator Lieutenant Chris Sabian of the west precinct, and issues his demands: the return of his badge; a department funeral if killed; the identity of Roenick's informant; and the truth about his killer. Sabian, who sees tactical action as a last resort, clashes with Roman's unit, particularly commander Adam Beck. A breach of Niebaum's office backfires when a [[SWAT]] marksman refuses to shoot Roman, who captures officers Scott and Markus. Sabian takes command of the scene, but Roman seemingly executes Scott to reestablish control.

Roman releases Frost to Sabian in exchange for restoring the building's electricity, allowing him to access Niebaum's computer. With the help from Rudy and Maggie, Roman discovers the embezzlement scheme: Corrupt officers submitted false disability claims that were processed by an unknown insider on the disability fund's board. Niebaum also has [[Covert listening device|wiretap]] recordings of Roenick, and Sabian claims to have located the informant in an attempt to end the standoff, but Roman realizes he is bluffing when Niebaum's files reveal that Roenick himself was the informant.

When Roman threatens to expose Niebaum to [[sniper]] fire, Niebaum admits that Roenick gave him wiretaps implicating his squadmates in the scheme; Niebaum was [[bribe]]d by the guilty officers to cover up their crimes, but Roenick refused and was killed. Niebaum has safely hidden the wiretaps, but the corrupt officers infiltrate the air vents and open fire, killing Niebaum. Roman fends them off with [[stun grenade|flashbang]]s taken from the captured officers, and Niebaum's murder convinces the remaining hostages that Roman is being set up.

The FBI assume jurisdiction, relieving Sabian of command and ordering a full breach. Maggie tells Roman that Niebaum likely kept Roenick's wiretaps at home, while Sabian reenters the building to warn Roman, who reveals that Scott is unharmed. Sabian agrees to help Roman prove his innocence, and as the building is raided and the hostages are rescued, Roman disguises himself in Scott's uniform and escapes. He and Sabian are unable to locate the wiretaps at Niebaum's home, where the corrupt officers prepare to kill Roman, but Frost arrives to negotiate with Roman alone.

Sabian shoots Roman, offering to destroy Roenick's evidence in exchange for a cut of the embezzled funds. Frost agrees, effectively revealing himself as the ringleader of the conspiracy, the insider on the disability fund's board, and Roenick's killer. Crushing the [[floppy disk]]s Sabian gives him and shooting Niebaum's computer, Frost exits the house to discover that Sabian deliberately only wounded Roman, who broadcast Frost's confession to the police outside. Humiliated, Frost attempts to commit suicide, but is shot in the shoulder by Beck and arrested with the other corrupt officers, and Roman narrowly refrains from shooting Frost for everything he did. As Roman is loaded into an ambulance with his wife, Sabian returns his badge.