While I agree Brad Pitt probably won't go to jail, he SHOULD (real life anyways) never be allowed to be a law enforcement officer....anywhere, ever.
But this is Hollywood...
Brad Pitt wouldn't go to jail? Only if he's tried in celebrity-mad California! Most states in the Union a cop who shoots a captured unarmed prisoner in handcuffs definitely would go to jail. Especially after straight-arrow Freeman testifies that for several moments he tried to talk him down--Pitt's immediately shooting the killer after he opened the box would be irresistable impluse. But he goes through this long dance, rasing and lowering the gun, all the time Freeman telling him why he shouldn't shoot the prisoner. By the time he pulls the trigger, he's had time to think about it, Freeman has warned him of the consequences, so the killing is premeditated and should get him life behind bars.
Moreover, Freeman would be up on charges himself, at least within the department and likely in district court, for permiting his partner to kill a prisoner in his custody. He should have protected his prisoner by shooting his partner. Instead, he allows the partner to kill the prisoner, which makes him an accessory to the crime. Freeman would plead guilty and testify against his partner, therefore getting a reduced sentence, but pretty boy Pitt would be on his way to the big house where he'd become queen of the prom.
The dumbest thing about that movie is that the worst hurt Pitt's character could do the killer is
not kill him. I mean, here's a nut who has spend years planning and accomplishing murders based on the 7 deadly sins. The last one, anger, depends on the cop killing the killer. If the killing doesn't occur, the series isn't completed, therefore the crazed killer's plan has failed, he's in custody, and there's no way he'll ever get out of prison--even in California--to play out the series again. But what does Pitt do--he throws away his own life by killing the killer. Doesn't bring back his wife and the other victims; won't give him any real or lasting satisfaction, throws away his life and career, and
gives the killer what he asks for! DUMB!!!!
It's like the old joke about the masochist who begs, "beat me!" and the sadist whispers, "no."