Lethal Weapon 3 - Plot

Plot

LAPD Sergeants Martin Riggs (Gibson) and Roger Murtaugh (Glover) arrive at an evacuated building believed to have a bomb in it. Against orders, they go inside to investigate the bomb. Riggs decides to deactivate the bomb himself instead of waiting for the Bomb Squad to arrive. Unfortunately, he causes the bomb to detonate and the whole building to collapse. This causes them to be demoted to uniform duties, which upsets Murtaugh because he only has seven days until retirement. While on street patrol, the two thwart a robbery using a duplicate armored car, although they only manage to catch one of the two would-be thieves. During the arrest, it is discovered the criminals were armed with a new type of armor-piercing bullet, informally referred to as "cop killers". For their efforts in stopping the raid, Riggs and Murtaugh are reinstated as Detectives by their superior, Captain Murphy (Kahan). Murphy introduces internal affairs Sergeant Lorna Cole (Russo) to the two detectives and informs them that the suspect they have in custody from the raid is a known associate of former LAPD Lieutenant and suspected arms dealer: Jack Travis (Wilson).

In the meantime, the other criminal who escaped is brought before Travis who is conducting a business meeting with mobster Tyrone (Millar) to account for his actions which have led to police heat being focused on Travis' arms business. Travis has his henchman throw the thief into a pit and has it filled with cement so as to display to Tyrone what happens to anyone who might double-cross him. Travis then goes to the county lockup, using his still valid police badge, gains access to the other raider, and executes him. Travis is unaware that he has committed this execution on camera, and when Cole and Riggs arrive on the scene, they are able to identify him using the footage.

Back at the precinct Riggs, Murtaugh and Cole are reviewing the footage of the execution when they are interrupted by Leo Getz (Pesci) who has dropped by to visit his two old buddies. When the detectives put the footage on pause to talk to Leo, Leo manages to recognise Travis and tells them where he can be found. A botched attempt to publicly arrest Travis follows, although the detectives believe that they may now have a lead to Travis' arms warehouse. En route to rendezvous with Cole at the warehouse, Murtaugh and Riggs come under fire from Tyrone's thugs. Murtaugh kills one of them, Darryl, a young man that Murtaugh's son Nick had recently been emulating. Murtaugh, visibly distraught, stays at the scene and Riggs continues on to meet Cole. At the warehouse, Riggs and Cole are attacked by Travis's henchmen and the two detectives gain the upper hand, secure most of the armament shipment, and the same evening they fall in love. After learning from Rianne that Murtaugh had become withdrawn over the shooting of Darryl, Riggs confronts Murtaugh on his boat and after a tense exchange of words, he helps Murtaugh get over his guilt. At Darryl's funeral, his father implores Murtaugh to catch the man who put the gun in his son's hands. Riggs, Cole and Murtaugh arrest and interrogate Tyrone learning his weapons come from Jack Travis and raid a garage with more people working for Travis.

Travis, no longer able to procure weapons through police arms dumps due to being exposed on the footage from the execution, has Captain Murphy kidnapped in a bid to use his clearance to gain access to the arms dumps. After having Leo work on getting information about a construction site that the garage workers were connected with, Riggs, Murtaugh and Cole realize Travis' plan when Cole notices information has been hacked from the police computer, and they head to the LAPD arms dump to stop him. A major firefight breaks out at the arms dump between the detectives, their support, and Travis' men. Murphy manages to free himself, and most of Travis' men are either killed or apprehended. Travis manages to escape, and Riggs and Murtaugh vow to catch him.

With the construction site details provided by Leo, the three depart for the construction site. At the construction site, the detectives come under heavy fire and eventually manage to destroy most of the site and Travis' men. Travis is himself shot and killed by Riggs with his own armor-piercing bullets, after Travis shoots and wounds Cole and attempts to finish her off. Cole, however, manages to survive because she took the extra precaution of wearing two bullet-proof vests, and she and Riggs admit that they would like to get more serious with each other.

On his retirement day, Roger tells his family, who start celebrating his retirement, that he has decided to remain with the force, preserving his partnership with Riggs; a choice which his family slowly comes to accept. After the credits roll, Riggs and Murtaugh pass a hotel which is under a bomb threat, and Riggs decides to take another try at disarming the charge. But before they can even get out of the car, the building blows up, forcing Riggs and Murtaugh to drive for their lives and their careers under the exasperated groan, "I'm too old for this shit."