Barrigan
Trooper James Barrigan was a police officer in the Massachusetts State Police and the best-friend of Colin Sullivan. He serves as the hidden quaternary antagonist of The Departed.
Biography[]
He was one of two undercover moles within the Massachusetts State Police Department working for Irish Mob boss Frank Costello. He shot and killed undercover police officer Billy Costigan and Trooper Tony Brown (the former of whom was an intended victim and the latter of whom was incidental and was shot in the head and killed instantly in order to silence and eliminate him as a potential witness) in order to prevent Colin Sullivan, Costello's other mole inside of the Massachusetts State Police Department, from being arrested by Costigan. He then told Suilivan that Costelo was gone to turn them over to the FBI and they have to take care of each other now. However, while Barrigan was not looking and was momentarily distracted, Sullivan shot him in the head and killed him instantly with Costigan’s handgun in order to cover his tracks. Sullivan decided to pin all his crimes on his friend and colleague in order to prevent anybody from ever finding out that he was Costello's primary mole.
Barrigan's final words:
- "Did you really think you were the only one he had on the inside of the Massachusetts State Police Department? That backstabbing motherfucker piece of fucking shit asshole bastard Costello was going to give us up to the FBI. It's just you and me now, you understand me? The two of us, we gotta take care of each other, you understand me?"[1]
Trivia[]
- Both Barrigan and Sullivan are possibly a tribute to "Mafia Cops" Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa, two Italian American NYPD officers who worked on behalf of the New York Mafia.
- Even though it is never actually confirmed in the movie itself, Barrigan was presumably of Irish descent, due to Costello's organization being an Irish Mafia organization.
Barrigan gets betrayed by Sullivan and shot in the head.