“Accused” Episode 6 deals with the Navajo tribe and their marginalized treatment by the American jurisprudence. When a uranium mine on the Reservation (Navajo Nation) poses a threat to the people nearby, they stage a non-violent protest. But it isn’t enough. One of them offers an alternate plan to solve the problem. But is that plan feasible? Let’s find out.
Spoilers Ahead
The Hearing
Defendants Shandiin Desmond, Naataanii Desmond, and Chase Etsitty are facing murder charges and are in the Maricopa County US District Court in Phoenix. Their lawyer, Ms. Dezbaa Lowe, introduces them. The court begins its proceedings.
The Protest And The Plan
Shandiin, her brother Naataanii, Chase, and Derrick (Shandiin’s ex) are staging a non-violent protest, along with many others, in front of a uranium mine whose radioactive dust has already led to the deaths of many people who lived and used to live nearby. Cops have been assigned to keep the people at bay. They pop tear gas to force the protestors to fall back, but it doesn’t work that well. When Chase gets too close to one of the cops, he, along with Shandiin, Naataanii, Derrick, and many more, is put in a cell. They are released later on but have trespassing and disorderly conduct against their records. Chase tells them that they should return to the mine as soon as they can. It is clear that he is ready to fight the authorities if he has to. Naataanii knows better and tells Chase that it will result in nothing. That’s when Derrick suggests his plan to have the government shut down the mine once and for all.
Derrick brings Shandiin, Naataanii, and Chase to the Orange Rock Uranium Mill, where all the uranium ore is processed. Derrick tells them that all they have to do is sneak into the place and destroy the electrical system. This will shut down the mill, without which there will be no use for the mine. He knows all this because his father and uncle used to work at the mill. As for security, the mill doesn’t have much, especially on weekends when the mill is closed. All they need is a key card that the security guards have on them. Chase mentions that he has seen the guards visit the bar regularly. Derrick and Shandiin plan to steal the key card from the guards. However, Naataanii suggests talking to the tribal council, but Derrick and Shandiin have made up their minds.
Denied Motions
Dezba Lowe’s motion for a change of venue is denied. The crime took place within the Navajo Nation, so the hearing should be conducted within the state. However, since any major crime committed is tried in a federal court, this hearing too will continue in the same venue. A motion to dismiss murder charges is also denied. Shandiin apologizes to Naataanii for her actions. It is because of her that they are in that position.
The Bar
Shandiin and Derrick are at the bar, waiting for the right moment to steal the guard’s key card as he is busy playing pool and quite drunk. As they talk about stuff, we come to know that Derrick had left for the city and almost vanished for 5 years before coming back all of a sudden. Then the moment arrives, and they get to work. Shandiin distracts the guard at the pool table while Derrick smoothly manages to pull the key card from his jacket, draped over a chair behind him. On the way out, Derrick bumps into a brown-haired guy who apparently knows him from their college days. However, when Shandiin asks about the guy, Derrick says that he doesn’t remember him. Then he tells her to leave in the car while he takes care of some work. After Shandiin leaves, the brown-haired guy comes out of the bar and tells Derrick to get into his car. The guy is a cop. Derrick has been working as his informant in exchange for his freedom from his 20-year sentence. The guy gives Derrick a gun that will aid in the sentencing of the individuals. Derrick takes the gun and gets out of the car. The cop leaves. Derrick struggles to decide what to do and ends up at Shandiin’s doorstep, intending to tell her the truth behind their plan. However, when he sees that Naataanii and Chase are also there, hearing them speak about how the land belongs to them, he decides to keep quiet (not wanting to get caught in his betrayal). He then gives them a map of the whole mill.
The Execution
Shandiin, Naataanii, Chase, and Derrick enter the mill with their faces covered and make their way towards the room, where there is a blue box inside which all the electrical lines converge. On the way, they see two guards but manage to sneak past them and into the room. Shandiin heads up to the terrace to keep a lookout in case anyone turns up at the mill. Shandiin, Naataanii, and Chase enter the room. Meanwhile, Shandiin has her binoculars on and sees multiple cars arrive at the mill. There is also a very familiar guy who has a vest on that says “FBI.” It is the same guy that she saw at the bar the other night, i.e., Derrick’s college friend. She isn’t able to reach Naataanii on his phone, so she heads back to the room. As Chase and Naataanii are busy finding the right wires to cut, Naataanii notices Derrick lost in thought. That’s when Shandiin frantically knocks on the room’s door. Derrick lets her in. She tells them that cops are on the way in, and all of them rush out of the room, intending to escape. This is when they are intercepted by the two guards they had seen earlier. Chase tries to hit one of them with a bag, but the guard pepper sprays him in the face. Meanwhile, a couple of armed cops find them and rush toward them. Derrick pulls out the gun, puts it against the forehead of the guard (with the pepper spray), and takes him back inside the room, along with Shandiin, Naataanii, and Chase. Naataanii is very angry with Derrick for bringing a gun along. He looks outside and sees multiple armed men approaching. While Chase ties the guard’s hands, who is sitting on the floor with Derrick pointing the gun at him, Shandiin takes Naataanii to the side and tells her about the guy she saw earlier. Naataanii realizes that Derrick informed the cops about them. He rushes towards Derrick and snatches the gun, pulling it back at him. He then asks Derrick for his phone. Derrick hesitates, yelling at Naataanii for doubting him and trying to claim that he is innocent. But Naataanii remains unmoved. Derrick gives him the phone and tries to run, only to trip against Chase’s leg. This makes it clear that Derrick is the rat.
A few minutes later, Naataanii gets a call on his phone from the FBI agent (the brown-haired guy), who gives them three minutes to talk things out among themselves before the squad barges in. Derrick is of no use to him anymore. Inside the room, Naataanii decides that Derick will be tried by the Navajo people, who will decide his fate. All of them then decide to surrender and come out of the room with their hands in the air, leaving the gun on the floor inside the room. The security guard is also inside, his hands tied. As all four of them stand in line, facing the agent, he fires two shots at Derrick. Shandiin screams as Derrick drops to the ground instantly. He is dead. The agent goes inside the room, picks up the gun using a cloth as a glove (preventing any fingerprints), comes out of the room, and puts it near Derrick’s body. Anyone who hasn’t seen what happened would assume that Derrick fired at them, and they’d returned fire in defense.
‘Accused’ Episode 6: Ending Explained – Do Shandiin, Naataanii, And Chase Go To Prison?
Security guard Samuel Donner is in the witness box. He was the one who was in the room with the four people. He validates the prosecutor’s claim that Derrick had a gun in his hand when he came out to surrender and also that he didn’t see any guns on the floor. Chase screams that the guard is lying. Shandiin, too, tries to explain that they left the gun inside the room. But it’s too late. The judge orders the bailiff (also a Navajo woman) to have Chase, Shandiin, and Naataanii removed from the courtroom.
As the bailiff takes Naataanii to a cell, the FBI agent (who killed Derrick) tells her that he wants to talk to Naataanii alone. She can wait outside. Naataanii (his hands tied) and the agent enter a room, and the agent closes the door behind them. They sit down facing each other, and as expected, the agent offers him the chance to be released if he and the other two people become new informants after Derrick. Nataanii doesn’t reply but asks how much he paid the guard to lie about the gun. The agent answers that he didn’t have to pay the guard anything at all to lie about worthless people like them. Furthermore, nobody will believe that it was he who killed Derrick and that it wasn’t in self-defense. Then, when he finally asks if they have a deal, Naataanii spits on the ground, showing his disagreement and disgust. The agent walks out of the room. Naataanii is broken. He knows he is about to go to jail for a long time, along with Shandiin and Chase. This is when the bailiff shows him her phone. She recorded the whole conversation.
The recording serves as clear proof that the whole incident was staged by the FBI. Shandiin, Naataanii, and Chase return home. All mining operations are ordered to be stopped by the Justice Department. It has also begun investigating the mining company’s deal with the FBI to stop the protests by the indigenous people of the area. Most importantly, the FBI agent is also charged with illegally recruiting informants and turning them against their own people.
Episode 6 of “Accused” doesn’t deal with the psychology of people but with their actions. Derrick paid the price for betraying his people with his life. But his fate was decided at the very moment he agreed to the FBI agent’s terms. And what’s worse is that his closest people found out about his lies, and that will be their last memory of him. There is no happy ending.
