July 23rd, 2003. Brooklyn City Councilman James E. Davis arrives at City Hall with a guest, Niel Askew. Both men are Black, handsome and wearing a suit. And both are carrying concealed weapons. Niel Askew had been running against James Davis in the upcoming election, but the men seem to have cut some kind of deal for Niel to drop out of the race. But in less than 30 minutes, both of them will be dead.

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The city is shut down. A cop – serving his first day on the security detail – acts heroically. Word spreads to Councilman Davis’s disbelieving family, and emotions run high.

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Who is the strange guest who came with James Davis to City Hall, only to shoot him repeatedly at close range. And why did he do it? Niel Askew’s close friends tell the story of a quiet closeted kid from a religious family, who came to New York, came out, and climbed the heights of the gay club scene of ‘90s NYC.

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Niel and his boyfriend live in a luxury highrise on the West Side of Manhattan called Riverbank. We look at a notorious crime that happened a few floors below Niel which may have inspired his own dark, violent incident. And the secret from Niel’s past that James E. Davis might have discovered.

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Officer James E. Davis was no ordinary cop. And now, he’s no ordinary political candidate. He’s brash, braggadocious. He carries a gun – and he lets his enemies know it. James Davis is ambitious and he’s complicated. But he’s making a name for himself in Central Brooklyn, and making lots of friends – and a few enemies – along the way.

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After a nasty campaign against political favorite Letitia James, James Davis finally wins elected office. Just as James’ fortunes are on the rise Niel Askew’s are headed the other direction. He’s broke, and he’s been diagnosed with HIV. The pressures are mounting.

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It’s the summer of 2003. Everybody in the neighborhood knows Councilman James Davis. No one knows Niel Askew, who’s running against him in the primary. Niel infiltrates James’s orbit, and becomes something like his protege – and someone for the powerful James E. Davis to taunt and intimidate. The clock ticks, as July 23rd approaches fast.

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