The Big 17

Originally Aired: September 6, 1951

Dragnet #117, "The Big 17," Sergeant Joe Friday and his partner Ben Romero are called to a neighborhood movie theater on West Fremont where a gang of fifteen to twenty teenagers has gone on a rampage. Theater manager Clyde Barton describes how what started as noisy teenagers quickly escalated into violence when he tried to restore order. The kids attacked him, one pulling a knife, then proceeded to tear apart the lobby, smashing mirrors, lamps, and display cases. In the chaos, a 14-year-old boy was shoved through a plate glass showcase and suffered severe eye injuries that may leave him permanently blind. An usher was also beaten in the melee.

This incident is just the latest in a month-long crime wave that has Friday and Romero baffled. Previously well-behaved kids in this average residential neighborhood have suddenly turned wild, with auto thefts up 20 percent and charges for burglary, misconduct, and drunkenness mounting weekly. The detectives have a theory about what's driving the violence, but they haven't been able to prove it yet. As Barton provides a list of names and hints at his own suspicions, Friday and Romero begin their investigation to stop the teenage crime spree.

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