'Chicago P.D.' Season 7 Episode 5: Voight and Platt need to stop bailing Ruzek out and let him feel the heat of his mistakes
Adam Ruzek (Patrick Flueger) has pretty much been a volatile cop over the years on 'Chicago P.D.'. Plucked straight out of the police academy by Alvin Olinsky early on in the series, Ruzek was seen to be brash and impulsive. It seemed that over the years he may have solved those issues, but by season 6 it became clear that he hasn't.
One thing positive about Ruzek is that he is loyal down to a fault. To protect Voight and Antonio from the accidental death of a suspect whom Antonio pushed out of a balcony in a drug haze, Ruzek takes the blame. He even ends up getting arrested for it, but Voight pulls some strings and manages to get the charges dropped. But the Internal Affairs Division (IAD) is keeping a close watch on him.
In this week's episode of 'Chicago P.D.', despite his partner Kevin Atwater's warning, he assaults a suspect in front of two patrol officers. We know if it was just the Intelligence on site, nothing will be made of it, but the training officer says the rookie officer will take the blame for it. When Ruzek disagrees saying he doesn't want the young man to take on something he doesn't want to, the training officer, Officer Werner says that he will.
But it doesn't end there and Ruzek could be in trouble. When Platt hears about it, she tries to go to someone higher and help Ruzek out but it turns out Officer Werner is not willing to let it go away. Because of Ruzek's and Werner's tiff, other patrol officers don't show up for Intelligence when they need them, putting the unit in jeopardy. When Platt goes to Werner with one week's pay from Ruzek to Werner, asking him to take the plea which will result in a 3-day suspension, Werner says he will lose his training officer status and that he will not stand for Ruzek's disrespect towards him.
Of course, Platt is not able to solve it and Voight steps in. Voight's solution is an old-fashioned brawl between the two men, after all, what Werner wanted was respect. But that's where the episode ends and we don't know who wins the fight. It is likely that Ruzek loses.
Either way, this is way too easy of an out for Ruzek who has been bailed out by his seniors time and time again. Ruzek needs to cool off and in this case, Werner was right, learn some respect for fellow officers who aren't in the Intelligence Unit. Perhaps a short stint in patrol might set Ruzek straight.
'Chicago P.D.' airs on NBC on Wednesday nights.