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You must understand, it's just business!
— Henry, upon trying to kill Michael Tapp[src]

Chief Henry Jacobs is a fictional character from the Saw franchise. He was the secondary antagonist of Saw II: Flesh & Blood.

Biography[]

The Cartel[]

Henry Jacobs was the chief of the Metropolitan Police Department. When he was promoted, he promised to rid the streets of the city of drug abuse. In truth, however, Henry was a drug trafficker himself. Along with Joseph Poltzer, the department's lead vice detective, he stole drugs from the police station's evidence room to sell them on the streets. The two of them eventually founded a drug cartel with the assistance of Dr. Carla Song, who stole pharmaceuticals from her clinic, and Sarah Blalok, a drug addict who sold drugs on the street and worked for the police as an informant. The cartel's profits and activities were concealed by an accountant named Solomon Bates. Joseph met up with Henry every night after work to give him big cash stacks. Occasionally, the cartel members met in Poltzer's house at 124th Street to plan their next steps. (Saw II: Flesh & Blood)

Cecil Adams' Death[]

At some point in his career, Henry's department investigated a serial killer case. The first victim was a drug addict named Cecil Adams, who died of blood loss after falling into a cage filled with razor wire. He had eight parallel cuts on his face, and a jigsaw piece had been cut from his shoulder, leading to the killer being nicknamed Jigsaw by Henry. (Saw II: Flesh & Blood)

Mitsuka Ito's and Ronnie Navarro's Deaths[]

Soon afterward, the remains of two other victims were found - Mitsuka Ito, a member of the local Yakuza, and Ronnie Navarro, a drug dealer and member of the Blood Eye Gang. The two of them were put in a trap, which consisted of a pulley system and several large barrels filled with sulfuric acid. Those were propped up above the victims, whose hands were strapped to ropes attached to the pulley system. The pulley would have given them enough slack to reach the exit door if they had pulled simultaneously. However, Detective David Tapp assumed that something prevented them from working together. Eventually, both of them died when their bodies were spilled with acid. While the acid had not left much of their corpses, the jigsaw pieces cut from their bodies suggested that the murder was another crime committed by Jigsaw. Assuming the killings would continue, Henry founded a task force consisting of Detective David Tapp, Detective Steven Sing, Detective Allison Kerry, Detective Mark Hoffman, and crime scene investigator Jennings Foster. (Saw II: Flesh & Blood)

Paul Leahy's Death[]

The next victim that was found was a drug addict named Paul Leahy. Jigsaw had chosen him to participate in one of his gruesome games because Paul had sliced his wrists earlier, not because of depression but to attract attention. Therefore, Jigsaw had taken him to a cellar. The back part of the basement where Paul was trapped was fenced-in and turned into a cage filled with razor wire. Upon examining the crime scene, the investigators found an audiotape that the killer had left for Paul. According to the tape, Paul was supposed to crawl through the razor wire to reach the exit door and save his life. However, the wounds he received while doing so were so severe that he ultimately died of blood loss. As the circumstances of Paul's demise reminded him of Cecil Adams' death, Tapp told Detective Hoffman to check what kind of razor wire had been used for Paul's cage and the one in which Cecil had died. (Saw II: Flesh & Blood)

Mark Wilson's Death[]

Shortly afterward, the detectives were called to another crime scene. The victim, a man named Mark Wilson, had been trapped inside a dark room with the only light source being a single candle. Furthermore, he was injected with a slow-acting poison and was informed by an audiotape that the only antidote was inside a safe. To open it, Mark had to find the correct combination among hundreds of numbers written all over the walls. Due to the darkness, he had to take the candle and walk to the walls to see the numbers. However, the killer had slathered his naked body with self-made napalm. When walking around the room with the candle, Mark accidentally ignited the napalm, causing him to suffer a heart attack due to the thermal shock. While investigating the crime scene, the detectives found a penlight and immediately sent it to the forensic lab.

Furthermore, Tapp informed Henry about the audiotape, which implied that Mark had committed medical insurance fraud. Mark was a client of Umbrella Health, the same insurance company used by the police department. For that reason and because Tapp wanted to focus on investigating the murders, he left it to the chief to deal with the matter. (Saw II: Flesh & Blood)

Amanda Young's Survival[]

Soon after Mark's body had been found, Amanda Young, a drug addict, came to the police station after escaping one of Jigsaw's games. After a doctor examined her wounds, she was interrogated by Detective Tapp. Amanda told him she had woken up at an unknown location and found herself strapped to a chair. While Amanda was unconscious, Jigsaw had put a mechanical device on her head and hooked it into Amanda's upper and lower jaws. Amanda had received her instructions from a mechanical ventriloquist puppet named Billy, which spoke to her via a video recording. The doll described the device on her head as a "reverse bear trap," which would rip her mouth open if she did not free herself within 60 seconds. Therefore, she had to cut the key to the device from the stomach of her supposedly dead cellmate, Donald Greco. When the tape ended, Amanda successfully freed herself from the chair and ultimately obtained the key by disemboweling her fellow prisoner, who was, in fact, still alive at that point. Upon securing the crime scene, the police found the trap, whereas Donald Greco's body was missing. However, they positively identified him by investigating the blood evidence. (Saw II: Flesh & Blood)

Seth Baxter's Death[]

Sometime later, another victim of Jigsaw was found in a deadly trap. A man named Seth Baxter had been cut in half by a giant pendulum-shaped blade. It turned out that the man used to be the boyfriend of Detective Hoffman's sister, Angelina Acomb. During a domestic dispute five years earlier, Seth killed her and was sentenced to life in prison. However, he was released the previous month due to a technicality. Because of Hoffman's connection to Seth, he asked Tapp for permission to avoid the crime scene. (Saw II: Flesh & Blood)

Jigsaw's Hideout[]

Sometime later, Tapp seemingly achieved a breakthrough in the investigation. Upon further examining the video secured at the scene of Amanda Young's game, he spotted a graffito on a wall behind Jigsaw's puppet. This graffito was associated with K2K, a small gang from 118th Street. Besides that, Tapp heard a fire alarm in the background and reviewed the recent fire reports for the area. With Sing's assistance, he ultimately learned about a fire in a rear house near an abandoned industrial building at 213 Stygian Street. Although they did not expect to get a warrant, the detectives left the police station and went to the location. (Saw II: Flesh & Blood)

Steven Sing's Death[]

Minutes later, Tapp and Sing arrived and entered the building. While examining the location, they found the K2K graffito and recognized it as the same one from the video. When they searched the hideout, they suddenly caught a sound and discovered a man named Jeff Ridenhour strapped to a mechanical chair. However, when they heard a nearby elevator, they went into hiding. Moments later, Jigsaw arrived, disguised with a black cloak and hood. Tapp and Sing observed him as the latter approached Jeff and told him he wanted to use him to test a bigger project. At this moment, the detectives left their hiding spot and aimed their weapons at Jigsaw. Jigsaw reacted quickly and activated the mechanical chair by stepping on a button on the floor. Subsequently, two drills started to approach Jeff's head from both sides. While Sing desperately tried deactivating the contraption, Tapp held Jigsaw at gunpoint. Even though Jigsaw told them that the key to the trap was in a box next to Jeff, Sing could not find the right one in time as dozens of keys were attached to the key ring.

Nonetheless, Sing saved Jeff by shooting the drills in the last nick of time. However, the shots distracted Tapp, allowing Jigsaw to slash his throat with a hidden blade and run away. Sing pursued the killer and shot him in a hallway, causing him to collapse. Thinking he was dead, Sing approached his body and accidentally stepped on a tripwire. This carelessness proved fatal as the wire triggered another trap, which caused Sing to be killed by four shotguns attached to a ceiling beam. Afterward, Jigsaw, who wore bulletproof body armor under his cloak, left the factory unharmed. (Saw: The Video Game, Saw II: Flesh & Blood)

Allison Kerry's Promotion[]

Tapp, who survived his injury, was saved after Jigsaw called an ambulance. However, he suffered a mental breakdown due to his role in Sing's death. As they had entered Jigsaw's hideout without a warrant, Tapp was on probation from then on. His firearm and badge were taken from him until the Internal Affairs Department finished its initial investigation. Furthermore, Henry took him off the case as Tapp was technically a victim now. Therefore, Kerry became the new leading investigator and informed Tapp about this when she visited him at the hospital. (Saw: The Video Game, Saw II: Flesh & Blood)

The Article[]

Eventually, Tapp's son, Michael Tapp, published a newspaper article about the raid on Jigsaw's hideout. In that article, he revealed that Tapp had acted contrary to duty when invading the lair without a warrant, which contradicted his earlier testimony. Furthermore, Michael cast him in a negative light when stating that all evidence in the building would have been worthless as they could not be used in court due to Tapp's improper invasion. Following the article's publication, Tapp was discharged from the police force by Henry.

However, Tapp continued the investigation on his own. To prevent him from finding out about the drug cartel, Henry blackmailed Sarah Blalok into spying on him, threatening to arrest her if she did not obey his orders. Sarah agreed and learned that Tapp had gained knowledge of the cartel but was not interested in stopping its members as he was only obsessed with apprehending Jigsaw. However, Henry did not believe her, accusing her of lying to him due to her feelings for Tapp. (Saw II: Flesh & Blood)

David Tapp's Death[]

Several months after his discharge, Tapp was abducted by Jigsaw and forced to play one of his games at the abandoned Whitehurst Insane Asylum. Ultimately, Tapp chose to let go of his pursuit of Jigsaw in exchange for the freedom of all the victims trapped in the asylum. Throughout the following days, the press frequently reported the events at Whitehurst, declaring Tapp a hero. Although the newspapers redeemed his reputation, Tapp continued to suffer from severe depression. Unable to let go of his guilt for Sing's death, he asked himself whether he made the right choice at Whitehurst by allowing Jigsaw to escape. Furthermore, the traumatic events in the asylum and Michael's betrayal took a toll on him. Ultimately, Tapp could not overcome his obsession with Jigsaw and committed suicide in his apartment by shooting himself in the head. (Saw: The Video Game, Saw II: Flesh & Blood)

Abduction[]

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Henry searches Tapp's apartment.

Following his former associate's suicide, Henry went to Tapp's flat to investigate the scene alongside Jennings Foster and Joseph Poltzer. On this occasion, he briefly met Tapp's son, Michael. As Jennings continued his work, and Joseph and Henry tried to find any evidence against the cartel that Tapp might have discovered, Michael went out to have a smoke. Shortly afterward, Henry was subdued by a mysterious man with a sinister pig mask. After brutally battering him, the attacker took him to the abandoned Holmes Hotel. In the ballroom, he shackled Henry to a chair in front of a target and put a loaded revolver in his mouth. (Saw II: Flesh & Blood)

Michael Tapp's Test[]

HenryRevolverTrap

Henry awakes in his trap.

When he woke up again, Henry immediately panicked upon realizing that he had been abducted by Jigsaw, who was, in fact, a terminal cancer patient named John Kramer. Meanwhile, Michael was also trapped in the hotel and faced one of Jigsaw's deadly games. While making his way through the hotel, Michael eventually reached the lobby. Upon entering, he saw Jigsaw behind a fence. Jigsaw informed him that Henry was trapped in the ballroom. To save him, Michael had to find a way behind the fence. While not directly revealing Henry's involvement in the drug cartel, Jigsaw hinted at a secret that had shattered Tapp's trust in the Chief of Police. After that, he disappeared and left Michael to continue his path.

Eventually, Michael reached the room where Henry was held captive. A TV turned on above him, showing Jigsaw's mechanical ventriloquist puppet. It confronted Henry about his corruption and involvement in the drug cartel, despite his promises to rid the city of drug-related crimes. Furthermore, the doll informed him and Michael about the game's rules, saying that Henry would die if they did not switch off all the lights on the panel next to him.

HenryTrap

Henry in the trap

When the tape ended, Michael had to correctly click the glowing buttons on the panel to turn off the lights. Eventually, he managed to do so, and the metal pole holding the gun fell back to the floor. Seconds later, Henry was released from his shackles. Afterward, he told Michael that Jigsaw had abducted several other people connected to his father's suicide. Despite some initial hesitation, Michael ultimately decided to go on and save the others, while Henry tried to make it to the entrance to find help. After that, they separated, leaving the deadly trap behind. However, instead of looking for help, Henry stayed at the hotel and planned to kill Michael to prevent him from uncovering his crimes. (Saw II: Flesh & Blood)

Betrayal[]

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Henry, about to attack Michael

Somehow, Henry obtained a gun and went to the pool area. There, he came across Joseph Poltzer, who had also been abducted. Henry ordered Joseph to find and eliminate Michael as the chief was afraid that the latter knew the truth about the drug cartel they were involved in. Although Joseph did not see him as a threat, as Michael had helped them avoid being discovered, he agreed to obey Henry's orders. Shortly afterward, Henry encountered Michael and shot at him without warning. Michael quickly took cover while Henry shot at him again and again. As he did, he tried to justify his betrayal by claiming that he had no other choice. Forced to move forward, Michael carefully ran from cover to cover while avoiding the gunshots. As he got closer, Henry eventually decided to flee.

Henry

Henry in the basement area

The chief went to an abandoned chemical plant across from the hotel. Michael had to obtain a valve hanging from a rope in a basement area as part of his game. Henry waited there for him and once again tried to shoot him. Michael managed to evade his gunshots by running from cover to cover and finally reached a room on the upper floor. When he hit a switch on a control panel, a wooden crate was dropped above Henry and barely missed him. However, as the box shattered on the floor, gas leaked from the chemicals inside, forcing Henry to flee the area. (Saw II: Flesh & Blood)

Carla Song's Death[]

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Henry, moments after killing Carla

Eventually, Henry came across Carla Song, who had also been abducted and trapped at the chemical plant but was saved by Michael. Afraid she might ally with Michael and endanger the cartel, Henry went after her but ultimately lost track of her. Instead, he encountered Joseph once more. Henry gave his gun to him and told him that Michael must not survive as he knew too much about their criminal activities. Afterward, they separated, and Henry continued his pursuit of Carla. When he finally found her, he brutally slashed her with a pair of scissors while Michael witnessed her death from behind a grate. He told Michael that he was merely tying a loose end and stated that they were not so different when it came to protecting themselves. Afterward, Henry disappeared through a door, leaving Michael and Carla's corpse behind. (Saw II: Flesh & Blood)

Death[]

Henry Jacobs

Henry's corpse

Shortly afterward, Henry ended up in an abandoned railway building. Thereby, he bumped into Pighead, who had abducted Henry earlier. Seeing that Pighead intended to kill him, Henry tried to prevent him from doing so by threatening him that the entire police department would be after him. However, Pighead barely hesitated and stabbed him multiple times, while Michael witnessed Henry's demise from the next room. After his death, Pighead left them behind and calmly went away. (Saw II: Flesh & Blood)

Personality[]

Henry Jacobs was a calculating individual, anxious to do everything for his profit. Therefore, he was also a ruthless and cunning man who did not even hesitate to kill his closest allies in cold blood to protect himself. As Henry was very self-confident, he managed to stay calm even in hazardous situations and barely showed any apparent signs of fear.

Furthermore, Henry's malice and egoism were evidenced by his ingratitude as he repeatedly attempted to kill Michael Tapp even after the latter had saved his life. In contrast, he tended to act politely and friendly when speaking with others, as seen during his brief conversation with Michael after his father's death. Despite wanting him dead, Henry did seem to respect him as a worthy foe due to his ability to evade him.

Appearances and References[]

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