Edward "Ed" Tucker was a former Internal Affairs Bureau captain with the New York City Police Department that investigates police officers suspected of breaking the law. Because of his job along with his attitude, he is unpopular with the detectives of SVU. He believes no one is above suspicion, willing to use any and every angle to sniff out supposed dirty cops, and is very accusatory, especially towards the detectives of SVU, apparently believing they are the most likely to go rogue.
He was in a romantic relationship with Lieutenant Olivia Benson.
In January 2020, he committed suicide after being diagnosed with terminal brain cancer which was likely caused by dust after assisting in the search for remains in the aftermath of 9/11.
Background[]
In the past, Tucker was married to a woman who ultimately proved herself to be untrustworthy, eventually leaving him. Afterwards, Tucker came to believe that he could never trust anyone, and went into IAB to prove his beliefs were true. (SVU: "Heartfelt Passages")
After 9/11, Tucker worked at the Fresh Kills Landfill in Staten Island to help look for remains. He thinks he may have gotten lung cancer from working there and it was in remission for a time. (SVU: "The Longest Night Of Rain")
On SVU[]
As a Sergeant[]
Tucker is first seen as a sergeant investigating a patrol officer at the 22nd Precinct named Al Marcosi after he had sex with a prostitute and let her go. When Marcosi is later suspected of the rape and murder of Paula Grace and SVU question him, Tucker berates Captain Donald Cragen but Cragen holds his ground and counters that they knew about Marcosi. They work together and eventually rule him out and start looking at police impersonators. Officer Marcosi eventually helps by giving them a license plate number of a car near the scene and link it to a man named Jeffrey Trapani. He is eventually arrested trying to kill one of his former victims and the case is closed. (SVU: "Counterfeit")
He later investigated a cocaine ring that used baby formula as a method of smuggling that supposedly had a cop on the payroll. When SVU detectives Elliot Stabler, John Munch, and Odafin Tutuola tried to take in Derek Pfeiffer, one of the smugglers, in for questioning Tucker forced them to let him go and lied that Cragen signed off on it. Cragen later berates Tucker for this and Tucker tells them to stay away from his case. When Pfeiffer ends up murdered Cragen wrestles the case away from Tucker and has Stabler go undercover. Eventually the cop's name is revealed to be Detective Brad Kendall but before he can be arrested he's shot and killed by Elliot after he identified himself. Tucker interrogated Stabler and sent him on modified duty even after Stabler found the dirty cop. The head of the ring is eventually revealed to be Derek's boss Keith Gerard and he is arrested by Tutuola and Detective Olivia Benson. Cragen used this to expedite Stabler's case and avoid bad press on the DA's Office and IAB. (SVU: "Risk")
He later investigates SVU when a man named Eddie Cappilla overdoses on heart medication in Elliot's custody. He tries to pin the blame for the suicide on Stabler and Doctor George Huang and threatens to turn Huang over to the Office of Professional Responsibility and threatens him by saying that he hopes that his medical-malpractice insurance is paid up. The case isn't pursued and both Huang and Stabler keep their jobs. (SVU: "Fallacy")
Tucker pawned off a dead girl who supposedly died in a police shootout to SVU because he didn't want the extra paperwork. (SVU: "Perfect")
Tucker was called in after Stabler pushed Meredith Rice against a wall in an interrogation room. Rice sexually assaulted him, and he pushed her away from him. She had a seizure after that, and had to be hospitalized. Tucker reminded Stabler about an incident four years ago when Stabler told the NYPD psychologist that he dreamed about killing perps. It was later determined that Stabler didn't cause the seizure, but that a brain tumor was the cause. (SVU: "Head")
He investigated Stabler again when he was suspected of killing a suspect in the rape and murder of a mob lawyer. Tucker brings up his previous statement about wanting to kill suspects and uses it to label Stabler guilty. However, M.E. Melinda Warner determined that Stabler was innocent and that the suspect had in fact died of a fatal arrhythmia due to an untreated heart condition. Instead of killing him, Stabler had actually tried to save the man with CPR which Warner hadn't been aware of when she performed his autopsy. (SVU: "Dependent")
He investigated Benson when she is suspected of leaking a story about a gay football star, Lincoln Haver, killing his boyfriend to the press through her boyfriend Kurt Moss. It is later revealed that that manager leaked the story because he killed the boyfriend. (SVU: "Closet")
As a Lieutenant[]
Tucker is eventually promoted to Lieutenant. He investigated the entire SVU Unit after a convicted rapist and child molester, Gilbert Keppler, accuses them of dragging their feet in the investigation which allowed him to rape another boy. He interrogates everyone and questions why they didn't move on him when the first victim, Justin McTeague, came forward and they reveal that the victim had come in before and falsely accused a teacher of molesting him so they had to gather more evidence before questioning him. In the previous case, their investigation had ruined the teacher's career even after he was exonerated of Justin's false accusations, having been interrogated for eighteen hours before they revealed who his accuser was which allowed the man to finally prove his innocence. Tucker is surprised when he learns that Keppler's third and fourth victims hadn't even realized that something was wrong, with the fourth not coming forward until he saw the doctor in handcuffs on TV. They found DNA evidence as a result of waiting which made Keppler's conviction a lock, none of which would've happened if they had arrested Keppler on Justin's word alone. Tucker stops the investigation and according to Cragen, he actually apologizes for the whole thing, but Tucker asks them to keep IAB in the loop. (SVU: "Lead")
Tucker is called in after Benson is accused of murdering a biker named Clyde Vandyne when her DNA is found on him. He arrests her in SVU's office while her colleagues protest and Tucker attempts to use her treatment for PTSD and single life to get her to confess but she wouldn't and asked for a lawyer. It is later revealed that the real killer is a serial rapist named Brady Harrison, who Benson collared six to seven years ago and framed her using fabricated DNA. (SVU: "Perverted")
He investigates Stabler when Sandra Roberts accuses Stabler of kicking her husband Hank Roberts. She angrily accuses Stabler when he is trying to pick up her son Nicky and while Stabler denies the allegations, Tucker doesn't believe him and Hank is shown to have a bloody nose. He interviews Stabler about the incident and continually accuses Stabler until Tutuola cuts the interview short, despite Tucker's protests when Nicky and Sandra are arguing in the squad room. Tucker follows them and eventually witnesses Nicky telling everyone that Sandra kicked Hank in the face and instructed her to blame Stabler. He also reveals he and his mom were beaten by Hank as well and she tried to get Nicky to lie saying Stabler beat him. (SVU: "Pop")
He investigates Stabler again when an underage rapist named Hunter Mazelon accuses him of touching his junk. While obviously false Tucker still persecutes him and when Stabler follows Hunter Tucker questions him. The charges are eventually dropped after Hunter's other victims are revealed and he murders his own molester. (SVU: "Delinquent")
He investigates Detective Amanda Rollins after she shot and killed Jeff Parker, her sister's abusive ex-boyfriend, while he was in the process of attacking her. During this investigation Benson and Cragen make clear their contempt for Tucker, and he demonstrates a prejudice against SVU, often needing to be reined in by his captain while investigating the case. After Kim changes her story to say that Jeff wasn't attacking her, and learning of the insurance policy which named Detective Rollins as a beneficiary, he had her arrested. He is later forced to drop the charges when he is presented a recording by Detective Nick Amaro, where Kim admits to setting Amanda up in order to collect the life insurance policy she took out on Jeff, which would not pay out if the deceased was killed while committing a crime. He and another detective later head to Kim's hotel room to arrest her only to find that she has already fled. (SVU: "Deadly Ambition")
He investigates a corrupt officers from the 12th Precinct when they are suspected of burying complaints, namely the rape of a woman named Tanya Jenkins. Eventually he calls on SVU's assistance and offers Brian Cassidy his detective's shield badge back to investigate when his witness, Mike Groves, is institutionalized. Brian is partnered with Officer West, the prime suspect, and is eventually convinced that West, his partner Ryan Quinn and his lieutenant Terrance Wood are dirty. They set a honey trap, but Tucker tips Wood off to Brian's status as an undercover to find the leak, leading Quinn and West to try to kill him. Brian is saved, but Cragen is outraged that Tucker put Cassidy at such risk for his case. Tucker is also forced by Cassidy to get Groves out of the psych ward. Eventually the case is closed and the corrupt officers from the 12th are locked up. (SVU: "Internal Affairs")
He and Cassidy are later called to investigate Amaro after he shot and paralyzed Yusef Barre while chasing a suspect who supposedly shot a cop. During the investigation Tucker continued his pattern of relentlessly investigating SVU by interrogating Rollins, Amaro and the wounded officer. He later arrests Nick when his blood alcohol comes back almost positive. He later investigates when people shoot at Amaro and almost kill his mother and daughter causing Amaro to chase after the shooters with a baseball bat. Though Tucker investigates the incident, he is sympathetic to Amaro, saying he would have done the exact same thing or worse in Amaro's position. Amaro is eventually cleared but has to be restricted to desk duty until Benson has relieved him from it. (SVU: "Amaro's One-Eighty")
When William Lewis commits suicide and frames Olivia for killing him, Tucker is called to investigate and arrives at the hospital just after Sergeant Benson arrives. Tucker attempts to see Benson but is stopped by the new SVU acting commander Lieutenant Declan Murphy. Tucker calls Murphy's leadership into question and brings up Benson slipping her protection detail and accuses Benson of murdering and assaulting Lewis, while Murphy defends Benson's actions as necessary to save Amelia Cole. Tucker skeptically asks him if he witnessed this and Amaro states he heard some of it. Tucker tries to get by him, but Murphy won't budge and Tucker eventually leaves.
Tucker and Sergeant Cole Draper take Sergeant Benson's statement about the incident with Benson explaining how she went to find Lewis on her, was forced to leave her weapon, vest, and cell phone and then kidnapped her. She then tells of how Lewis almost raped her when he decided not to seeing she wouldn't resist. Rita Calhoun cuts the interview short and takes Olivia out of there to confer with her client. They continue the interview with Rita present the next day and she tells them Lewis held the revolver he killed himself within his left hand. She then describes Lewis' game of Russian Roulette and how they took turns. Tucker stops Benson and turns the camera off before he tries to offer Benson a way out: Claim she killed him in self-defense to save Amelia. Benson initially refuses and Tucker pulls up all the evidence to the contrary and repeatedly tries to convince her to change her story. But Sergeant Benson stubbornly states she won't commit perjury to save herself.
Tucker and Draper then interview Murphy, Tutuola, Rollins, and Amaro about their accounts of the incident with all but Amaro giving general statements in Benson's favor. Amaro tells them about Benson's spontaneous admission that Lewis killed himself with Tucker and Draper trying to dissuade him. Amaro then exclaims that they aren't going to frame her for killing Lewis. Benson and Rita then visit Tucker and Draper one last time before they turn in their report with Tucker once again urging Benson to say she killed Lewis to save herself from ADA Derek Strauss' inquisition. Benson and Rita both state that Benson isn't changing her "story" and Tucker wishes Benson luck with Strauss before they turn in their report. Benson is eventually cleared of any wrongdoing once Murphy had told the grand jury more about Lewis' past. (SVU: "Post-Mortem Blues")
He investigates Amaro again after Tensley Evans accused him of sexual improprieties. Sergeant Benson shows him the dash cam footage proving Tensley is lying, but Tucker says when his investigation is done he will let her know. Amaro eventually got reinstated into SVU once it was shown that he arrested Tensley by the book. (SVU: "Producer's Backend")
He investigates Amaro yet again after he is accused by an EMT named Himes of intimidating his soon to be mother-in-law, Gabriella Nunez, into recanting her accusations against his father. He interviews Amaro and comments on the many IAB investigations involving him and Amaro quickly states he didn't pressure the victim into recanting. Tucker brings up his conversation in Spanish and Amaro explains he told her everything is going to be okay. Tucker is skeptical, but Amaro angrily explains he didn't tell the victim to recant in English or Spanish. Tucker then surprisingly just takes his word and warns him to stay away from the case. He later meets Sergeant Benson and they discuss Amaro's case with Benson reassuring him that he will not protect his father. Tucker then explains he feels sorry for Nick's situation and Benson makes a comment about him getting soft. Tucker then invites Benson for a drink, which Benson happily accepts. (SVU: "Padre Sandunguero")
He later visits Benson at her office to inform her that One Police Plaza want a Lieutenant instead of a Sergeant running the Special Victims Unit. Benson defends her command with the fact her recent successes and Tucker informs her he recommended her for the position. She is reluctant, but Tucker informs her that if she doesn't they will select one to take her position. Benson tells him she doesn't know what to say and Tucker leaves commenting that she may want to choose carefully who her number two is going to be. (SVU: "Parents' Nightmare")
Benson later calls to meet him in a bar and asks if her squad knows about Johnny Drake's status as Noah Porter's father and she replies they do. Benson tries to explain that she didn't know about about Johnny until after he was arrested and Tucker confirms that he talked to the M.E.'s office and verified that. Tucker then explains that while there isn't a problem as far as the department is concerned, she probably should have kept it to herself. Benson appreciates and thanks him and they order drinks and Benson explains Amaro's wish to take the sergeant's exam and Tucker tells her that the department will never promote him because of all the investigations and bad press he has received. While upset about the news she accepts it. When Amaro is shot by Johnny, Tucker arrives at the hospital to ask about his condition and Benson says he is fine. While discussing Johnny's motive Tucker theorizes that it was suicide-by-cop and Benson agrees. Despite the officer-involved shooting, Tucker doesn't investigate Amaro and is instead present out of genuine concern. (SVU: "Surrendering Noah")
Tucker investigates the 27th Precinct after three officers shoot and kill an unarmed black college student named Terrance Reynolds, who was suspected in a string of push-in rapes. Tucker arrives at the hospital and meets with Captain Reece, Lieutenant Benson and Union Rep. Didi Denzler, where he advises them not to take too long with their statements to IAB. At IAB headquarters, Tucker takes the statements of Detectives Dumas, Campesi, and Sergeant Donlan with his partner Sergeant Draper and with Denzler and their attorney present. When they all give stories with the same language, Tucker senses they have been coached, turns off the tape recorder and tells them his suspicions while Tucker gets up to leave the interview room. Tucker is then told by Benson that DNA is back and Reynolds is not the serial rapist they were looking for, meaning the three officers just killed an innocent man. ADA Rafael Barba later talks with Tucker and Draper, who defend the officers in that they have no disciplinary issues, no records of racism, and commendations for integrity. When Barba asks about the gap, Tucker explains he thought they sounded over coached, which Barba turns around to imply they maybe lying, which Tucker and Draper rebuke. (SVU: "Community Policing")
As a Captain[]
In 2016, Tucker is promoted to Captain of the Internal Affairs Bureau. As Captain, Tucker attends a hostage situation in Manhattan, involving Benson. It is revealed that before Tucker joined IAB he was an Emergency Service Unit officer and that he takes the hostage situation refresher course twice a year. (SVU: "Townhouse Incident")
Tucker got called in when Deputy Commissioner Hank Abraham was arrested for distributing child pornography. Tucker was disgusted, stating in spite of his dislike towards the man, he didn't think it would amount to this. He took part in the interview and denounced Abraham's excuses because of the evidence found in the search of his home. It is revealed that he and Benson have gotten much closer, and are possibly involved in a romantic relationship with one another. Benson and Tucker go out for drinks and seem extremely comfortable around one another. Benson clutches his arm after he places a hand on her lower back. (SVU: "Collateral Damages")
Benson is later seen defending Tucker when he is accused of aiding a sex-trafficking ring by hiding all of the evidence, and Barba finds out she is in a relationship with him, triggering her suspension from SVU for the time being. (SVU: "Manhattan Transfer") Although it is later revealed that he was framed, Deputy Chief William Dodds still wants to charge Tucker because he revealed to his cousin Eugene O'Hanigan, a member of the ring, that one of the victims was cooperating with SVU, which led to her death. Fortunately, SVU catches a break when Detective Dominick Carisi, Jr. convinces O'Hanigan to reveal some pictures that show the ring's actions, which clears Tucker of all charges, returns him to his job to IAB, gets all of the criminals involved in the ring indicted, and allows Benson to come back to SVU. He and Benson go out for celebratory drinks at the end of the case. (SVU: "Unholiest Alliance")
Benson and Tucker are in her office. Tucker mentions ordering in and having it delivered to her apartment by the time they get there. She replies, "Sounds romantic." They are then interrupted by Carisi. (SVU: "Assaulting Reality")
Tucker later comforts Benson as she mourns the loss of her second-in-command Sgt. Mike Dodds, whose death inspires him to put in for a transfer to the NYPD Emergency Response Unit's Hostage Negotiation Team. (SVU: "Heartfelt Passages")
It was later revealed that Tucker was not assigned to the HNT, but to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office's Conviction Integrity Unit. (SVU: "Terrorized")
He and Benson were shown having dinner together and he discussed retirement and a future with her, which Benson became unsure about. (SVU: "Next Chapter")
They eventually broke up due to their differences in planning their future together. (SVU: "Chasing Theo")
Retirement and Death[]
At his retirement party, it was revealed that Tucker had married a woman named Patty and now had two teenage stepsons. However, Vice Officer Rachel Wilson broke into the party and claimed Tucker had ignored the fact she was raped by another officer named Gary Wald while Tucker was still with IAB. He later revealed to Benson that he had been diagnosed with brain cancer and was dying, with him believing the cancer was caused by dust searching for remains in the aftermath of 9/11.
In order to make things right for Rachel, he went undercover and recorded Wald confessing to the rape. Benson later apologized to Tucker for how she ended things between them, and the two reconciled with him understanding that she still has to command SVU and take care of Noah. However, before Wald's case could be taken to trial, Tucker committed suicide. In his suicide note, Tucker left everything to his wife and said he didn't want her to spend the best years of her life taking care of a dying man. (SVU: "The Longest Night Of Rain")
While being held hostage by Vanessa Blake, Benson brought up Tucker, whom Vanessa remembered from the couple visiting her restaurant. Vanessa told Benson that Tucker had adored her, which anybody could see, and that Benson should get him back. Benson then informed Vanessa that Tucker had committed suicide before the COVID-19 pandemic due to having brain cancer and expressed remorse for not getting the chance to say the things that she would've said had she known that Tucker was going to die. (SVU: "In The Year We All Fell Down")
Appearances[]
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (14 seasons, 30 episodes):
- Season 3: "Counterfeit"
- Season 4: "Risk" • "Fallacy" • "Perfect"
- Season 5: "Head"
- Season 8: "Dependent"
- Season 9: "Closet"
- Season 10: "Lead"
- Season 11: "Perverted"
- Season 12: "Pop" • "Delinquent"
- Season 14: "Deadly Ambition"
- Season 15: "Internal Affairs" • "Amaro's One-Eighty" • "Post-Mortem Blues"
- Season 16: "Producer's Backend" • "Padre Sandunguero" • "Parents' Nightmare" • "Surrendering Noah"
- Season 17: "Community Policing" • "Townhouse Incident" • "Collateral Damages" • "Manhattan Transfer" • "Unholiest Alliance" • "Assaulting Reality" • "Heartfelt Passages"
- Season 18: "Terrorized" • "Next Chapter" • "Chasing Theo"
- Season 21: "The Longest Night Of Rain"
Trivia[]
- Robert John Burke, who plays Tucker, ironically also plays the chief enforcer for HR (New York City's underground group of dirty NYPD cops) Officer Patrick Simmons on the CBS crime drama series Person of Interest.
- A deleted scene in "Post-Mortem Blues" reveals that he and defense attorney Rita Calhoun were romantically involved for an unknown period of time. Calhoun assures Olivia Benson that her former relationship with the IAB Agent wouldn't affect her ability to defend Benson. It is unknown if this is still considered to be canon.
- As seen in "Heartfelt Passages", Tucker is a recipient of the U.S. Flag Bar, World Trade Center Breast Bar, NYPD Meritorious Police Duty, NYPD Excellent Police Duty, and NYPD 150th Commemorative Breast Bar.