Lester Freamon

Infobox character | name = Lester Freamon


real name =
portrayer = Clarke Peters
creator = David Simon
species =
gender = Male
first = "The Detail" "(episode 1.02)"
last = "–30–" "(episode 5.10)"
cause = End of series
age = 50s
occupation = Baltimore Police Detective
title = Detective
alias =
family =
spouse =
children =
relatives =
footnotes =

Lester Freamon is a fictional character on the HBO drama "The Wire", played by actor Clarke Peters. Freamon is a detective in the Baltimore Police Department's Major Crimes Unit. He is a slow and methodical detective who quietly makes major contributions to the series investigations.

Biography

Detective Lester Freamon is a twenty year veteran of the force who established a reputation early on as what Bunk Moreland called "natural police" for his tenacity and intelligence. His first major unit was Homicide, but in 1989, acting against the orders of the Deputy Commissioner, he charged a politically connected stolen goods fence to coerce his testimony in a homicide case. Though the case was successfully closed, the Deputy still had Freamon transferred to the Pawnshop unit as a punishment. Freamon wound up spending thirteen years and four months in the assignment, until he had been completely forgotten by the higher brass. Deskbound in an office for more than a decade, Freamon began making dollhouse furniture, a hobby which provides him great supplemental income, but also contributes to his eccentric reputation among fellow police.

eason 1

When the initial Barksdale detail was formed, Freamon was transferred in because he was viewed as a useless "hump", and the higher-ups had no wish to provide good detectives who would make a large case. After he overheard an offhand comment by Detective Greggs, Freamon tracked down the only known photo of Avon Barksdale, finally giving the unit a face to put to the name. He further impressed his colleagues when he found D'Angelo Barksdale's pager number at an abandoned stash house. Impressed by Freamon's capabilities, fellow detective Jimmy McNulty inquires about him in a conversation with Bunk who claims Freamon is an ex-homicide detective. Then McNulty, at the bar with Lester, inquires into his history, finding out that Freamon was sent to the Pawn Shop unit for angering the Deputy Ops. McNulty is then warned about how his superior officers will send him to an undesirable unit at the conclusion of the case.

Freamon proved himself quite adept at the details of wiretap usage; he recognized patterns of pager messages and telephone calls which gave several advances in the Barksdale case, most notably finding the main stash house in Pimlico. He also led the investigation into the Barksdale's financial records and found their various political connections, instructing Sydnor and Pryzbylewski in the process of following the paper trail. He also recruited Shardene Innes, one of the dancers in Barksdale's strip club, as an informant, beginning a romantic relationship with her in the process.

cite web
author = Dan Kois
year = 2004
title = Everything you were afraid to ask about "The Wire"
publisher = Salon.com
accessdate = 2006-07-12
url = http://dir.salon.com/story/ent/feature/2004/10/01/the_wire/index.html?pn=4

]

After Detective Greggs is shot, Freamon tracked a page made by Wee-Bey Brice, one of the shooters, to a pay phone where he found evidence implicating the other shooter, Little Man. He then used a contact from his pawn shop days (now working for a phone company) to trace call patterns and pinpoint Wee-Bey's whereabouts, leading to his arrest and conviction.

Following the dissolution of the detail, Major Rawls noted Freamon's effectiveness as a detective and transferred him into Homicide, to which Freamon happily returned. Rawls had made room for Freamon in Homicide by dumping McNulty to the Marine Unit in the exacting fashion that Freamon described.

eason 2

Freamon was partnered with Bunk Moreland, and they were quickly recognised as the best detectives in Homicide. Landsman assigned them a seemingly impossible case involving the deaths of fourteen Jane Does. They were detailed the officer from the Port Authority, Beatrice "Beadie" Russell, who had initially found the bodies in a shipping container on the docks. The girls suffocated after the air pipe was deliberately closed off (other than one girl who was murdered and thrown overboard on the previous night).

Freamon and Bunk held the vessel that delivered the container at a Philadelphia port while they tried to question the crew. None of the crew would admit to speaking English, and they let the ship go after learning that two crewmen had jumped ship after Baltimore. Based on the few sparse facts they knew, Freamon and Bunk deduced that the women were prostitutes being smuggled in from overseas, that one of the girls was murdered by a sailor after refusing sex, and the rest were killed for witnessing the crime. The murderer was one of those who fled, so the investigation was at an impasse, and Freamon and Bunk came under heavy criticism from a frustrated Rawls for releasing the ship without getting statements.

Freamon was relieved to be requested by Daniels for the detail assigned to Frank Sobotka and the dockworker union. Though he continued to assist Bunk and Russell in the Homicide investigation, his primary focus became investigating smuggling through the Baltimore ports. On Russell's advice, Freamon convinced Daniels to clone the port's computers to track container movements. They were able to follow containers being moved illegally to a warehouse, ultimately linking Sobotka to the criminal activities of The Greek. The investigation closed with several arrests and, in the process, Freamon matched a dismembered body killed by The Greek's crew as one of the crewmen who jumped ship. Bunk and Freamon solved the Jane Doe homicides after Sergei filled them in on the details they needed, and Landsman and Rawls were again content with the Homicide unit's clearance rate.

eason 3

Freamon stayed with Daniels in his new permanently established Major Crimes Unit, building a case against their assigned target, a small-time drug dealer named Kintel Williamson. Throughout the Season Freamon acted as a mediator between Daniels and McNulty. McNulty clashed with Daniels over the investigative targets and was urged by Freamon not to attempt any insubordinate moves as Daniels was the commanding officer who got McNulty out of the marine unit. When the unit's focus returned to the Barksdales, Freamon was stumped by the new trend, using disposable cellular phones, finishing their pre-paid minutes before a wiretap can be approved. He masterminded a scheme wherein he went undercover as a con artist selling illegally recharged disposable phones (already wiretapped) to a Barksdale underling named Bernard whom Bubbles got him close to. Avon Barksdale himself was caught in a safehouse filled with weapons and returned to prison, though an also-implicated Stringer Bell was murdered before he could be arrested. cite web
year = 2004
title = Org Chart - The Law
publisher = HBO
accessdate = 2006-07-22
url = http://www.hbo.com/thewire/orgchart/law.shtml]

eason 4

Since Daniels was promoted to Major, Freamon is now the guiding force behind the Major Crimes Unit. The unit is running a wiretap on the Stanfield Organization, though Freamon is disappointed that Stanfield's lack of discipline is making the investigation too easy. Meanwhile, he continues to follow the Barksdale money trail, subpoenaing the financial records of state senator Clay Davis and property developer Andy Krawczyk. Freamon wrongly believes that Mayor Royce would not risk interfering with a criminal investigation to help them, because of the upcoming election. Feeling pressure from both, Royce angrily goes to Burrell and Rawls and forces them to deal with it. Burrell asks who is responsible for the subpoenas and Rawls correctly assumes Freamon as the lead instigator. In order to appease Mayor Royce, Rawls concludes that "proper supervision" will keep the unit under control and prevent them from moving forward. He installs a new commander, Lieutenant Marimow, aka "The Unit Killer", who immediately butts heads with Freamon by attempting to bring down the wiretap. Freamon is sent to Rawls who correctly assumes Freamon is willing to go to Judge Davis to keep his wiretap running. Rawls recognizing Freamon's past instances of angering the department's upper command points out Freamon's "gift for martyrdom" and instead subtly threatens his protegés Greggs and Sydnor whom he claims will be the victim of Freamon's mistakes. Freamon agrees to allow the wiretap to be disconnected, but refuses to work under Marimow.

Out of respect for his shrewd investigative tactics, Rawls transfers Freamon back into the Homicide Unit, where Bunk has been investigating the murder of Stanfield drug dealer Fruit and the disappearance of suspect Curtis "Lex" Anderson. They both recognize that Stanfield likely had Lex killed in retribution, but are unable to find the body anywhere. Freamon further observes that Stanfield is not tied to any murders since the Barksdale Gang War ended, and begins to scour Baltimore for any trace of the bodies he knows must be hidden somewhere.

Herc unwittingly provides Freamon with a key clue, a nail gun he noticed when he pulled over Chris and Snoop. Pryzbylewski (now a teacher) provides second-hand information as to where Lex was killed. While checking abandoned row houses in that immediate area, Freamon notices that one of the doors was nailed in while the others were screwed shut, and realizes that Lex's body must be in that house. He further concludes that the Stanfield Organization is leaving bodies in row houses all over the City. With the nails identifying which houses are doubling as tombs, more than twenty bodies are found.

Daniels, now a colonel gaining political traction, regains control over the Major Crimes Unit. He offers Freamon carte blanche, including the right to pick his own commander. Freamon assembles his team, and begins investigating Stanfield again, but Stanfield has been mentored by Proposition Joe, and is no longer as sloppy as he was.cite web
year = 2004
title = Character profile - Detective Lester Freamon
publisher = HBO
accessdate = 2006-07-22
url = http://www.hbo.com/thewire/cast/characters/lester_freamon.shtml]

eason 5

Freamon reconstitutes the Major Crimes Unit under the command of Lieutenant Jimmy Asher. The unit includes detectives Jimmy McNulty, Kima Greggs, Leander Sydnor and Kenneth Dozerman. Initial investigations into the vacant house murders fails to provide enough evidence to bring charges against the Stanfield Organization. Freamon elects to settle into a long investigation and begins daily surveillance of Marlo Stanfield. Stanfield becomes aware of the ongoing investigation and curtails his violent activity and limits his discussion to face to face meetings. Stanfield has been mentored by Joseph "Proposition Joe" Stewart in avoiding police investigations. The unit becomes dissatisfied when fiscal problems at city hall lead to withholding of their over-time pay. The unit is eventually closed down to save funds. Freamon is detailed to the State's Attorney's office to continue to prepare a case against corrupt state senator Clay Davis. Sydnor joins him in the detail and they report to Assistant State's Attorney Rhonda Pearlman.cite episode|title = More with Less|episodelink = More with Less|series = The Wire|serieslink = The Wire (TV series)|credits = Joe Chappelle|writers = David Simon (story and teleplay), Ed Burns (story)|network = HBO|station = |city = |airdate = 2008-01-06|season = 5|number = 1] Cite web|url=http://www.hbo.com/thewire/episode/season5/episode51.shtml|title="The Wire" episode guide - episode 51 More with Less|accessdate=2008-01-22|publisher=HBO|year=2008]

Freamon heralds the Davis investigation as a career case but is unable to let go of the work he has done on Stanfield. Freamon continues surveillance of Stanfield in his own time and is pleased to find that Stanfield is already relaxing his practices with the withdrawal of the investigation. Freamon and McNulty meet with FBI agent Terrence Fitzhugh seeking federal support for a renewed Stanfield investigation but have no success.cite episode | title = Unconfirmed Reports | episodelink = Unconfirmed Reports | series = The Wire | serieslink = The Wire (TV series) | credits = Ernest Dickerson | writers = William F. Zorzi (story and teleplay), David Simon (story) | network = HBO | station = | city = | airdate = 2008-01-13 | season = 5 | number = 2] Cite web|url=http://www.hbo.com/thewire/episode/season5/episode52.shtml|title="The Wire" episode guide - episode 52 Uncomfirmed Reports|accessdate=2008-01-22|publisher=HBO|year=2008]

McNulty decides to secure funding for the Stanfield investigation by creating the illusion of a serial killer to draw media attention to the police department. Bunk Moreland is outraged that McNulty is interfering with crime scenes and falsifying case notes as part of his plan and enlists Freamon to talk sense into McNulty. McNulty has faked the strangulation of a homeless man who likely died in an overdose. Involving Freamon backfires on Bunk when Freamon decides that the plan could work and makes suggestions to it by sensationalizing the killer.cite episode|title = Not for Attribution|episodelink = Not for Attribution|series = The Wire|serieslink = The Wire (TV series)|credits = Scott and Joy Kecken|writers = Chris Collins (story and teleplay), David Simon (story)|network = HBO|station = |city = |airdate = 2008-01-20|season = 5|number = 3] Cite web|url=http://www.hbo.com/thewire/episode/season5/episode53.shtml|title="The Wire" episode guide - episode 53 Not for Attribution|accessdate=2008-01-22|publisher=HBO|year=2008]

Sydnor uncovers evidence of Davis lying on a mortgage application and Freamon realizes it is significant enough to file federal charges. Rupert Bond decides not to file the new charge as it would cost him the opportunity to raise his political profile. Bond has Pearlman hold a grand jury deposition for Davis and stages a photo opportunity as Davis leaves the court house to mark Davis as his target. McNulty and Freamon collaborate on raising the profile of their fake serial killer. They conduct actual canvassing among the homeless as a cover. Freamon sensationalizes the idea by adding a sexual motive and supplies a set of dentures to create bite marks. Freamon also recruits his old patrol partner Oscar Requer to look out for bodies. They soon have their next fake victim and McNulty mocks up the crime scene and mutilates the body to imply another murder.cite episode | title = Transitions | episodelink = Transitions | series = The Wire | serieslink = The Wire (TV series) | credits = Dan Attias | writers = Ed Burns (story and teleplay), David Simon (story) | network = HBO | station = | city = | airdate = 2008-01-27 | season = 5 | number = 4] . When Lester gets ahold of Marlo Stanfield's cell phone (via a loop from Vondas to Marlo to Levy to Herc to Carver to himself), he sets up a fake wiretap on the phone but is initially surprised to find no conversations are taking place on it. Lester continues to work on the Clay Davis case and provides strong information in court, but it does not help the case's ultimate fate. Lester learns Marlo's cellphone is transmitting pictures of clocks and tries to break the code. When the brass kicks in more money for the fake serial-killer investigation, a full-court surveillance is done and Sydnor figures out the clock code involves different locations in Baltimore. Lester tries to get the U.S. Attorney's office to prosecute Clay Davis for lying on a mortgage application (information Bond did not use in the failed city prosecution); while the office declines because Davis is now a hero in Baltimore, Lester uses the information to blackmail Davis for information about a leak at the courthouse. Lester sees the bust against the re-supply go down and Marlo, Chris, Monk and others are arrested. Lester is upset that Jimmy McNulty told Kima about the fake serial-killer plan. When word of the plan reaches Daniels and Daniels tells Carcetti, Lester's fate is pretty much sealed along with McNulty's. Ronnie Pearlman tells them they won't face jail but will work in non-investigative, busy work jobs for the rest of their BPD careers (similar to how Lester was exiled to Pawnshop for 13 years and 4 months). Lester laments the loss of tracking Marlo's money trail, but takes the retirement, makes peace with Kima, and finishes the series putting together dollhouse furniture while Shardene adoringly joins him.

Critical response

Entertainment Weekly named Freamon one of the five most interesting characters in season four.cite web
author = Neil Drumming
title = High Wire Act
publisher = Entertainment Weekly
accessdate = 2006-09-27
url = http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1535094,00.html]

References