David Hale (Sons of Anarchy)

Deputy Chief David Hale is a fictional character on the FX television series Sons of Anarchy, played by Taylor Sheridan.  He was the Deputy Chief of Police in the small Northern Californian town of Charming.  The Chief, Wayne Unser, nicknamed him "Captain America" for his black and white views, and squeaky-clean adherence to the law, and possibly because of his square jawed all-American looks. 

Biography
Hale is a native of Charming, California, and his father, Jacob, was a county judge and a very powerful and wealthy man.  He also has an older brother, Jacob, Jr. As a boy, he delivered newspapers to the town's infamous Teller household.  He was a childhood friend of Jax Teller, Tara Knowles and Opie Winston, until they graduated from high school.  Hale enlisted in the United States Marine Corps.  After his honorable discharge, he went on to become a police officer at the local police department and is now Deputy Chief, next in line for the Chief job once Wayne Unser retires.  Unlike Unser, Hale wishes to purge the town of SAMCRO (the local biker gang, run by the Tellers) upon becoming Chief of Police.  Like him, his father and brother also want to see SAMCRO leave Charming, but, unlike him, their desire is motivated by their wish to profit financially from the gang's absence, something which appears to irritate David.  Because of Hale's attitude, SAMCRO leader Clay Morrow convinced Unser to continue on as police Chief in order to ensure Hale doesn't assume the position and become a threat to SAMCRO and their allies.  He serves as an antagonist to SAMCRO during the first season, but became less hostile during Season Two. 

Season 1

After learning that Unser is staying on, Hale calls in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to see if they can circumvent Unser.  He soon became sexually involved with Agent June Stahl, which is against department regulations.  One of their encounters was witnessed by Jax Teller while he was breaking Cherry out of the County Jail.  The two lovers fell out, however, over Stahl's decision to delude SAMCRO into believing that Opie Winston was an informant and her locking Hale out of the investigation.  When Stahl removed Opie's protective detail, Hale (after much convincing from Unser) decided to inform the SAMCRO that Opie was not a "rat."  The information came too late to prevent the murder of Opie's wife, Donna.  At the crime scene, Hale icily informed Stahl, "This blood's on you." 

Season 2

At the start of Season Two, Hale is introduced to Ethan Zobelle by his older brother, Jacob, in the hopes of getting SAMCRO out of Charming.  Zobelle leads the White separatist group, the League of American Nationals (L.O.A.N.).  David, aware of L.O.A.N.'s racial beliefs, initially refused Zobelle's help (Jacob, a businessman who hopes to profit from SAMCRO's absence in Charming, is not concerned with L.O.A.N.'s beliefs or methods).  However, David is so determined to rid Charming of SAMCRO that he begins to accept Zobelle's assistance (or, at least, turns a blind eye towards L.O.A.N.'s activities) even though he knows that they use more violent tactics than the Sons.  L.O.A.N.'s first illegal action was giving Darby and the Nords the backing to operate a meth lab in Charming.  SAMCRO discovered that the Nords were dealing meth in Charming and tipped off Hale, who then visited the property where the meth lab was located.  Although Hale threatened Darby that he would get a warrant to search the property, but instead he told Unser that he investigated SAMCRO's tip and that there was no meth lab.  SAMCRO, now feeling that Hale had fallen in with Zobelle's group, took the matter into their own hands and destroyed the lab themselves.  Zobelle then tried to force Hale into taking action against SAMCRO by providing surveillance footage of Opie blowing up the meth lab that Hale allowed to operate.  At the same time, Hale is also given footage of himself apparently taking a bribe from Darby (actually just a gift certificate to Zobelle's Impeccable Smokes shop opening).  After being reprimanded by Unser for collaborating with Zobelle, being informed by Unser about what Zobelle's people did to Gemma, and being told he needs to be the "clean one", Hale gave Clay and Jax information they needed to sink a real estate scam run by Jacob Hale and let them know that Zobelle was surveiling them.  Hale also told them that he wasn't Unser and wasn't on anyone's payroll. 

Throughout season two, Hale started to show some signs of cooperation with SAMCRO, realizing that L.O.A.N. was more of threat to Charming than SAMCRO.  He began to understand Unser's behavior, realizing that the elderly chief didn't have much of a choice anymore in whether or not to deal with Clay Morrow and the Sons.  In the episode "The Culling," Unser informs Hale that he will be the new acting chief (possibly signifying Unser's retirement in the near future). 

In the second-season finale, perhaps adopting some of Unser's attitude, Hale appeared unconcerned with what SAMCRO did to A.J. Weston and Ethan Zobelle as long as it was not done in Charming.  Ethan Zobelle, cornered in a deli outside of Charming by SAMCRO, called Hale for help.  Hale lied and told Zobelle that the sheriffs were on the way, but after hanging up he made no effort to inform the local sheriffs.  He was last seen consoling a distraught Tara Knowles over the kidnapping of Abel Teller. 

Season 3

In the season premiere, Hale is first seen moving into the office of the chief, a position that he states will soon be official.  His brother, Jacob, apologizes for bringing Zobelle to Charming, and states that he never intended things to escalate as far as they did.  Jacob also tells Hale that he is continuing with his campaign to be mayor of Charming, and asks for "the support of the chief."  Hale agrees to support his brother.  Later in the episode, Hale keeps vigil over Half-Sack's funeral which is being attended by numerous Sons Of Anarchy members and associates.  Jacob meets him there and reiterates his disgust for the gang and the apparent outpouring of support for them.  Hale explains that people, including those in Charming, don't like to see SAMCRO vulnerable since it makes everyone uncomfortable.  Later into the funeral, an unknown party, later revealed to be the Calaveras MC, commits a drive-by shooting, injuring and killing several attendees.  Hale tries to stop them by getting in front of their van and firing at the driver, but is killed when the vehicle runs him over.  Jacob and Unser both futilely rush towards his bloodied body as the van speeds off. 

In an interview, series creator and executive producer, Kurt Sutter, explained that the decision to kill Hale in the season premiere was motivated by Sheridan's desire to move on to another project. 

References

Category:Sons of Anarchy characters
Category:Fictional American police officers
Category:Television characters introduced in 2008