Captain Brooks Avery is the head of the Robbery-Homicide Division of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). He is known for being Roger Murtaugh's supervisor and former teammate.
Avery is portrayed by Kevin Rahm in the Lethal Weapon television series. He is based on Captain Ed Murphy, a character from the film franchise.
Personality[]
Avery takes his job as a police captain very seriously. He is somewhat high-strung and frequently stressed (courtesy of Riggs and Murtaugh), being very vocal about the pressure from the city in regards to managing Riggs and Murtaugh - especially when it comes to mitigating the collateral damage they cause, emphasising how much it costs the city. While he struggles with controlling the two, he is very passionate about his job and repeatedly defends his position as captain, despite the challenges it presents. Although he often finds himself scrambling to sort out the messes that often follow Riggs and Murtaugh’s case work and reprimands them frequently, Avery seems to hold the detectives in high regard.
Biography & Career[]
Before Brooks Avery was promoted to Captain of the Robbery-Homicide Division, he worked as a detective in the LAPD. At the time, he was partnered with Detective Roger Murtaugh.
Years ago, he and a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputy, David Reed, planted evidence to convict a murderer after previous evidence was excluded from trial. He was prepared to resign over the incident when it came to light, but Murtaugh convinced him to stay as if his impropriety was revealed it would mean that all of Avery's cases - many of which he worked with Murtaugh - would be reviewed, if not overturned entirely.
Looking back on their partnership, Avery comments that he was “…a mess”, referencing the emotional turmoil in his life that had been affecting him, and how Murtaugh helped to ground/stabilise him - which is why he chose to pair Martin Riggs (an unstable ex-SEAL from Texas in the process of grieving his wife) with Murtaugh when he transferred to their division, hoping that Murtaugh would be able to help Riggs in the same way.
Around the ending of season 2, Avery announces that he is leaving the LAPD in pursuit of a position in local government, with the intent of leaving Murtaugh as his replacement.
Avery talks about a man named ‘Todd’ throughout the show, who is implied to be his husband (though it is never explicitly stated). Avery keeps a picture of himself and Todd in his office, and has expressed his past distress in having been partnered with an unpleasant and openly homophobic detective. Another notable allusions to their relationship is seen in S1:E17: ‘A Problem Like Maria’, where Murtaugh calls Avery and instructs him to pretend that Todd had called in order to avoid breaking their cover. Avery - now feigning a typical conversation between himself and Todd - calls him “Honey”, indicating their relationship is intimate/romantic. Additionally, in S2:E2: ‘Dancing in September’, Avery voices his increased concern about financial stability he were to lose his job, as Todd had recently talked him into buying a boat.
Gallery[]
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