Model America

Friends, family members and neighbors recall the day 16-year-old Phillip Pannell was shot and killed by a white police officer, Gary Spath; rumors and misinformation spread, raising doubts about whether Teaneck is actually a racial utopia.

The community begins to splinter as residents pick sides in the shooting death of Phillip Pannell; Town hall meetings devolve into shouting matches and expose systematic and institutional racism in Teaneck's "model community."

A grand jury refuses to indict Officer Gary Spath and a second grand jury is empaneled, infuriating supporters of Officer Spath; thousands of police officers from across the state show up at a rally, inflaming the already fraught community.

Gary Spath takes the witness stand and gives emotional testimony, highlighting his belief that his life was in danger the night he shot Phillip Pannell; The jury deliberates for nine hours before coming back with the verdict.