The Big Ben

Originally Aired: March 15, 1951 Dragnet #92, "The Big Ben," Sergeants Joe Friday and Ben Romero investigate a brutal early morning robbery on Commercial Street. The victim, Harvey Kimbrough, a department store employee, stops to help what appears to be a stranded motorist around 5 a.m. on his way to work. Instead of finding someone in distress, Kimbrough is confronted by an armed man who pulls him from his vehicle at gunpoint, steals his wallet containing fourteen dollars, viciously strikes him in the face, and drives off with his 1948 blue Dodge sedan. A second vehicle, a late model two-tone green Chevrolet, follows as the getaway car. Friday and Romero begin their methodical investigation by interviewing Kimbrough at the Stacy Hollywood department store, then tracking down Sidney Ferguson, the good Samaritan who discovered the injured victim on the roadside and came to his assistance. As the detectives piece together witness statements and gather details about the suspect and stolen vehicles, they work to build their case and track down the violent criminal who left his victim bleeding on a deserted street.