Arthur Fancy

Capt. Arthur Fancy is a character in the television series NYPD Blue. He is played by James McDaniel from seasons one through eight. McDaniel appears in all 167 episodes, from the show's 1993 pilot to the 2001 episode in which his departure is depicted.

In an episode in late summer 1995, Fancy stated that he is 42 years old and that he was 41 when his wife gave birth in January 1995.^[1] This places his birthday sometime between January and August 1953. He also alluded in Season 2 to recently passing his 20-year service mark on the police force. Fancy previously worked as a detective prior to entering the management track and was promoted to lieutenant in charge of the 15th detective squad about a year prior to the start of the show's timeline.

Fancy was one of the newly recruited African American commanders on a force previously controlled by Irish American police officers. According to officer Jack Hanlon during a conversation with John Kelly, "the force up until the 1960s was comprised of a majority Irish Americans with some Italian American and Jewish officers, but only a few African Americans."^[2]

Fancy commands the respect of black community activists and the (entirely white) upper leadership of the fictional version of New York City Police Department.^[3] He expresses a pragmatic attitude towards older cops' outdated beliefs. In different episodes, Fancy manages to thwart the attempts of his superior, Captain Haverhill, who opposes appointing black commanders, to frame him for misconduct and threatens a civil lawsuit over racial discrimination. Fancy also reprimands the officer Szymanski for a racially motivated traffic stop. In “Weaver of Hate”, he also demands that a crime victim's father, who always uses racial slurs, be removed from the squad room.

Fancy's wife, Lillian, is played by Tamara Tunie. The characters married in mid-1982.^[4] When the show began, they had two daughters. A son, Arthur Jr., was born during the run of the show. The family also participates in the foster care program. Lillian is diabetic, which causes Fancy to be overprotective during her last pregnancy, which he later apologizes for.

He has a younger brother, an officer named Reggie (played by Michael Jai White), who is distrustful of whites. In an attempt to get Reggie fired, McNamara helps a black gypsy cab driver falsely accuse Reggie of taking kickbacks, which led Reggie to be suspended. McNamara claims he is merely following departmental procedures. Fancy informed his detectives. They conducted an investigation that revealed McNamara's misdeeds.

It is revealed in Season 6 that Fancy's father was an alcoholic who stole his mother's money and died as a poor man in the streets. His family takes in a foster child named Maceo in season 1, and Fancy is devastated when Maceo's mom, a reformed drug abuser, later returns to reclaim custody. In season 4, when Maceo is arrested for running drugs for his off-the-wagon mom, Fancy has to convince him to cooperate with the NYPD in a sting against her associates. His mother blames him and says prison might do him some good.

In Season 4, Fancy and his wife were stopped at a traffic light and treated in a rough and possibly racist manner by two police officers in Bayside, Queens.

Al día siguiente, Fancy llamó a los agentes, alegando que los habían detenido como si fueran sospechosos de un robo a mano armada. Tras interrogarlos, Fancy concluyó que a él y a su esposa los habían detenido a punta de pistola únicamente por su raza. El oficial superior, Szymanski, negó haberlos detenido por motivos raciales. Fancy acudió al capitán Bass y solicitó al jefe de patrulla que trasladara al oficial Szymanski fuera del distrito de Bayside, Queens , de mayoría blanca . El oficial subalterno McCaslin llevaba solo diez meses en el cuerpo. Estaba sentado en el asiento del copiloto del coche patrulla, y Fancy creía que simplemente apoyaba a Szymanski, su superior.

El capitán Bass se dirigió entonces a Fancy y le dijo que enviar a Szymanski a Bedford-Stuyvesant era una mala idea. Fancy consiguió que trasladaran a Szymanski bajo su mando a la comisaría 15, donde le asignaron un compañero negro. Posteriormente, mientras estaba destinado en la comisaría 15, Szymanski fue acusado falsamente de robar a un narcotraficante negro y de asesinar a un agente encubierto negro.

Tras nueve años al mando del escuadrón de detectives del Distrito 15, Fancy fue ascendido a capitán. Cuando el Escuadrón 15 descubrió que la esposa del capitán Bass se autolesionaba para llamar la atención, Bass expresó su gratitud por haber evitado que el asunto se convirtiera en un caso criminal o en noticia. Se retiró para cuidarla y recomendó a Fancy como su reemplazo. Cuando la teniente Susan Dalto fue transferida como sustituta de Fancy, pero hizo que el escuadrón fuera disfuncional, Fancy le pidió a Bass un último favor. Bass consiguió que Dalto fuera trasladada y Fancy fue reemplazado definitivamente por el teniente Tony Rodriguez .