Jon Kavanaugh

Lieutenant Jon Kavanaugh is a fictional character from the FX television show The Shield, played by Forest Whitaker. Kavanaugh was an internal affairs officer determined to take down Detective Vic Mackey and the Strike Team using any means at his disposal. He has been described as the toughest adversary the Team ever faced, and his investigation led to the ultimate downfall of the strike team. He has degrees in both criminology and psychology, an... more

Lieutenant Jon Kavanaugh is a fictional character from the FX television show The Shield, played by Forest Whitaker. Kavanaugh was an internal affairs officer determined to take down Detective Vic Mackey and the Strike Team using any means at his disposal. He has been described as the toughest adversary the Team ever faced, and his investigation led to the ultimate downfall of the strike team. He has degrees in both criminology and psychology, and frequently played mind games with people under surveillance to find out whether "they'll crack under pressure." It is implied that his reasons for taking the case revolved around Chief Phillips' belief that it was an expedient time to prosecute police corruption and spin the news to his advantage. Egotistical and ambitious, Kavanaugh thus hoped to advance his career by building a case against Vic Mackey and the Strike Team. Kavanaugh was once married to a woman named Sadie (Gina Torres), but the two were divorced as a result of her severe... less