Originally from Metropolis, Detective Crispus “Cris” Allen was a forty-something police veteran transferred to Gotham City, where he was partnered with detective Renee Montoya on the Gotham City Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit. Cris saw Batman as a necessary evil, not wanting to deal with him but tolerating his presence. He was an agnostic who doubted the existence of God in spite of his family’s strong faith. Allen has a strong moral compass and was partly responsible for revealing a large number of corrupt cops in the GCPD.[1]
One night, Cris and Renee spotted gang members apparently preparing for some sort of violent action. Cris requested backup, but the two opted not to wait for it. Following the gang into a deserted building, the detectives found several murdered men as well as two large gang members. Cris tailed the suspects while Renee scouted the rest of the building. The Black Spider suddenly appeared at the crime scene, firing upon Renee. The first few shots hit her, but she was protected by her bulletproof vest. Black Spider then aimed at her head, but Cris shot and killed the villain before he could pull the trigger.
The Internal Affairs department later took the story from Cris, as well as his gun, and put him on temporary leave until his story could be corroborated. The course of the investigation should have been straightforward. Complications arose, however, when a new crime scene technician named Jim Corrigan stole important evidence — the bullet that killed Black Spider — from the scene.
