The Alfred Hitchcock Hour

A grieving detective is determined to bring to justice the men who killed his son. His son had followed his example and also become a police officer. The detective vows to track down the murderers, no matter the cost, relentlessly.

Death of a Cop is a television episode that centres on a single, tightly focused narrative. It presents a self‑contained story rather than a sprawling series, and its format is that of a programme rather than a full‑length drama. The piece is positioned as an episode, offering a concise look at its central characters and conflict. The core of the episode follows a police detective who is consumed by remorse after a personal tragedy. His son, who had chosen the same profession and walked the same beat, is murdered. Driven by grief and a sense of responsibility, the detective swears to track down the men responsible for his son’s death. Throughout the story the detective’s guilt is a constant undercurrent, shaping his determination and influencing every decision he makes. He repeatedly acknowledges his own failings and the weight of his son’s loss, using that remorse as fuel for his relentless pursuit. Equally important is the fact that the victim was not just any civilian but the detective’s own child, who had followed his father’s footsteps into policing. This shared vocation deepens the personal stakes, making the detective’s promise to find the killers both a professional duty and a deeply personal quest.