| “ | I've already signed the IA's affidavit. The charges are being dismissed. | ” |
— Hoffman talks to Art about the charges against Rigg[src]
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The Internal Affairs Division, commonly known as IA, is a fictional group in the Saw franchise as well as the main protagonistic faction in Saw 3D.
History
Police Violence
The Homicide Unit was a special law enforcement unit working for the police with the purpose of investigating incidents, possible suspicions of law-breaking and professional misconduct within the Police Department. Throughout the time of its existence, the IA unit of the Metropolitan Police Department investigated a number of cases of police violence against suspects. On one of these occasions, Officer Daniel Rigg had been charged by Rex, an abusive husband and father, after he had been attacked by Rigg during an interrogation. The charges were however dismissed, when Mark Hoffman made an incorrect statutory declaration in order to protect his colleague. (Saw IV)
On another occasion, Hoffman himself was investigated by the IA after an incident at the abandoned Crossroads Manufactory, a known shelter for drug addicts and homeless people. When Hoffman went there due to an emergency call, Matt Gibson, a young patrol cop, was attacked by a man. Gibson had tried to fight the man off but had to surrender when the man grabbed his weapon and held him at gun point. However, before the man could shoot him, Hoffman had suddenly appeared behind him and told him to drop the weapon. Even though the unknown attacker obeyed immediately, Hoffman shot him in the back three times, killing him in the process. After that, he gave Gibson, who was shocked by the events, a leg-up and advised him that next time, he should shoot first. He then told Gibson that he owed him, before he went off. Despite the fact that Hoffman had saved his life, Gibson reported Hoffman to the Department for Internal Affairs. However, instead of being punished for the murder, Hoffman was promoted while Gibson was sidelined. Some time later, he joined the IA Department himself and managed to convict three of Hoffman's friends. Angered by this, Hoffman swore revenge on him. (Saw 3D)
The Jigsaw Case
Rogers informs Gibson about Jill
Years later, Gibson got involved in the case of serial killer John Kramer, better known as the Jigsaw Killer, when he was already dead. Shortly after the victims of a new deadly game, set up by Jigsaw's successor, had been found at the abandoned Rowan Zoological Institute, Jigsaw's ex-wife, Jill Tuck, went to the police station to talk to Gibson as she knew about his past with Hoffman. His partner, Officer Rogers, informed him that she didn't trust the FBI nor the homicide unit and therefore only wanted to talk to him. When Gibson eventually entered the interrogation room he introduced himself and sat down at the table in front of Jill. Jill told him that she had information about the successor of John and demanded protection and complete immunity in exchange for the information. Gibson however refused to accept the deal without more details. Therefore, Jill told him that John's successor had assisted him in most of his killings and would go on killing if he wasn't apprehended. She also said, that he knew Gibson and vice versa, before she finally revealed that the successor was actually Detective Mark Hoffman. Both, surprised and shocked by these information, Gibson accepted the deal, seeing a chance to close the Jigsaw Case once and for all. (Saw 3D)
Evan's Test
Rogers informs Gibson about the trap
A few weeks later, Rogers was called to Pete's Auto Body, a junkyard at 58th Street, after the police had been informed about a car accident at the junkyard. However, when Rogers arrived at the scene, he quickly realized that the supposed accident was actually another Jigsaw trap, which had taken the lives of Evan, Kara, Dan and Jake, a group of four racist skinheads. Therefore, he immediately called Gibson, who ordered him not to let anyone to the crime scene, including the homicide division. When Gibson arrived at the scene, he immediately listened to an audio tape, which had contained the instructions for Evan. The tape however was severely damaged. Therefore, Gibson gave it to one of the forensics for further examination. After that, he discussed the new situation with Rogers as it was suspicious that the new game had been played in such a rather public place. While Rogers assumed that Hoffman just wanted to put on a show, Gibson was convinced that there was more behind it. Afterwards, he took a look at the severely humiliated corpses of the other three victims, Kara, Dan and Jake, and ordered a coroner to send them to the morgue as they had to be obducted immediately. Suddenly, he was called to an adjacent toilet room by Rogers. Upon entering, he saw the words "Gibson, See For Yourself" written on a mirror in red letters. Furthermore, he found a blood-smeared metallic trap device left there by Hoffman and ordered Rogers to send it to the lab, hoping that fingerprints might be found on it. (Saw 3D)
Cat-and-Mouse Game
Jill and Gibson in the safe house
Shortly afterwards, the lab actually found fingerprints on the trap and identified them as those of Jill Tuck. Due to the latest events, he decided to take Jill into protective custody and brought her to a safe house for key witnesses. However, he was angry at her as she hadn't told him that Hoffman was chasing her because she tried to kill him earlier. Nonetheless, he was willing to keep his promise to protect her and promised her that she was save at this location. However, only moments later, Officer Palmer informed him about a disc sent to them, which was personally addressed to Jill. He then received a call from Rogers, who informed him about an explosion at the junkyard. Seconds later, Gibson heard another detonation in the background. Therefore, he told him to let the bomb squad search the junkyard before they went on with their investigation. Afterwards, he ordered Palmer to play the disc. The disc contained a video message recorded by Hoffman. In this message, he told Gibson to give Jill to him. In return, he promised to end the next game. If Gibson refused to take the offer, Hoffman threatened him that everyone would die. As Hoffman knew Jill's location, Gibson ordered Palmer to take Jill to one of the detention cells on the basement of the police station.
Gibson and Rogers leave Jill's cell
Shortly afterwards, he returned to the sation himself and showed the video to Rogers after he arrived there as well. Thereby, he noticed a statue of an angel behind Hoffman, which looked somehow familiar to him. However, before he could further think about it, Palmer informed him that someone had sent her a video from a security camera in the downtown area. The video showed the abduction of Bobby Dagen, a supposed Jigsaw survivor, by Hoffman, who had covered his face with a pig mask. Bobby's wife, Joyce Dagen, and his crew had been reported missing as well, leading the officers to the conclusion that they were the victims of the new game Hoffman had talked about. After receiving these news, Gibson showed a photo of Bobby to Jill and asked her if she knew about him, which she denied. She also couldn't tell him if John knew about him. Therefore, Gibson and Rogers returned to the office room, where Palmer had received an e-mail with another video from Hoffman. He told Gibson to "look beyond the crossroads to the clear dawn", thereby hinting at the incident at the abandoned Crossroads Manufactory years ago which was the reason why Gibson had reported him to the Internal Affairs Department. Understanding the true meaning of this clue, Gibson went to the manufactory, accompanied by Rogers, while Palmer tried to get a trace on the e-mail.
Gibson and Rogers at the manufactory
Minutes later, he and Rogers arrived at the manufactory and broke through the door to get inside. Initially, Rogers saw nothing of interest. Gibson however showed him an angel statue which closely resembled the one from Hoffman's video. When Rogers asked him why Hoffman wanted them to go to the manufactory, Gibson stated that he wanted to remind him of how he saved his life years ago. Thereby, Gibson told his partner about the incident where Hoffman shot the homeless man. Furthermore, he revealed to him that Hoffman had sworn revenge on him for convicting three of his friends during his career in the Internal Affairs Department. While telling Rogers about his past with Hoffman, he remembered that the homeless man had been released from the Clear Dawn Psychiatric Hospital, when it was shut down by the state. Therefore, he realized what Hoffman talked about when he told him to "look beyond the crossroads to the clear dawn" and concluded that the hospital, which had been abandoned for several years already, was the place where Bobby Dagen's game occured. With these information, he set out for the hospital and ordered Rogers to go back to Jill to watch over her. (Saw 3D)
Police Raid
Gibson at the Clear Dawn Hospital
Shortly thereafter, Gibson arrived at Clear Dawn and entered the building along with a SWAT team. When they broke through the front door and secured the big entrance hall, Gibson noticed a TV, which showed Joyce Dagen in a trap, as well as a timer, thereby realizing that the game was still going on. As Gibson and the SWAT went on through the hallways, they eventually entered a storeroom where they found the corpse of Nina, Bobby Dagen's publicist, after her throat had been pierced by four metal rods in another trap. Seconds later, he was called by Officer Palmer, who had been able to trace Hoffman's e-mail to the junkyard. When he saw that only 15 minutes were left on the timer, he ordered the SWAT leader to go on with his team while he went after Hoffman. Upon leaving the hospital, he called Rogers and informed him that he knew the location of Hoffman's hideout. Therefore, Rogers told Jill about this and also told her that Bobby's game was still going on. (Saw 3D)
Killing Spree
Gibson in the hallway
Only minutes later, he arrived at the junkyard and immediately went to the toilet room where Hoffman had written the message for him on the mirror, accompanied by two officers armed with shotguns. After securing the room, he quickly realized that the wall with the mirror was actually a hidden door. Therefore, he took the shotgun from one of his colleagues and smashed the mirror. After that, he broke through the door and entered a hidden hallway along with the officers. Thereby, they finally reached a surveillance room where they saw a hooded figure sitting in front of the monitors. Thinking it was Hoffman, Gibson aimed his gun at him and ordered him to show his hands. The person however didn't react. While holding him at gunpoint, Gibson carefully approached and ultimately kicked him off the chair. Upon doing so, he realized that the figure wasn't Hoffman, but Dan, one of the four victims of the car trap. Initially confused, Gibson noticed the angel statue from Hoffman's video standing on a pedestal. He then took a look at the monitors, which showed the police station. When he saw that Hoffman had hacked their camera security system, he realized that Hoffman had hidden himself in Dan's body bag in order to infiltrate the station through the morgue. Therefore, he called Palmer and ordered her to call all officers back to the station immediately. However, before he could tell her the reason for his panic, a sentry gun emerged behind him and started to fire before he could react, thereby killing Gibson and the other officers while Palmer listened to the shots on the phone.
Hoffman approaches Palmer
Not knowing that Gibson had been killed by the trap, Palmer repeatedly tried to call him back. Thereby, she didn't notice how Hoffman calmly approached her from behind. Before she could react, Hoffman grabbed her from behind. Palmer immediately panicked and tried to fight him off until Hoffman broke her neck, killing her in the process. When she was dead, he went to the heavy metal door leading to the cells and looked through the eyehole. Behind the door was another guard who observed Jill through a one-way-mirror. Therefore, Hoffman dragged Palmer's corpse to the door, placed her body in front of the eyehole and knocked the door to attract the guard. When he saw Palmer through the eyehole, thinking she was still alive, he opened the door. Hoffman embraced his chance and threw the corpse away. When the guard unlocked the door, Hoffman dragged him back into the room and stabbed his throat. Afterwards, he took the dead officer's gun. Now only Officer Rogers stood between him and Jill. As he couldn't see Hoffman through the mirror, the latter aimed at him unnoticed and finally shot him right in the eye. (Saw 3D)
Aftermath
the corpses of Palmer, Rogers, Gibson, Jill and numerous other police officers murdered by Hoffman, were found shortly afterwards. The events surrounding the massacre at the police station were reported to the public by the news channels the same night. Thereby, everyone with information about the whereabouts of Mark Hoffman was requested to go to the police immediately. (Saw 3D)
Appearances and References
| Films | |||||||||
| Saw | Saw II | Saw III | Saw IV | Saw V | Saw VI | Saw 3D | Jigsaw | Spiral | Saw X |
| Absent | Mentioned | Absent | Mentioned | Absent | Absent | Appears | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Other Media | |||||
| "Saw" (2003 Short) |
Saw: Rebirth (2005 Comic) |
Full Disclosure Report | The Scott Tibbs Documentary | Saw: The Video Game | Saw II: Flesh & Blood |
| Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |