A baby's life hangs in the balance when an ex-con takes him hostage.

In Washington State, an off-duty officer spots a wanted criminal in an elementary school; officers in Georgia chase a woman on a violent rampage in her car; in Florida, a stolen car crashes, and the suspect flees into an alligator-infested marsh.

Police race through the night, pursuing an armed car thief; when an officer comes to the aid of a suspect's dogs, his act of kindness gets shot down in a hail of bullets; a couple's beef turns an officer's day on its head.

In Wisconsin, officers cautiously approach a dangerous driver's wrecked car. Refusing to exit the vehicle, the driver suddenly opens fire on them. In Washington State, a community rallies to protect two officers shot in the line of duty.

In Florida, a father kidnaps his own child. A wanted fugitive in Georgia fires six shots at a police officer, igniting panic in the neighbourhood. And in Ohio, a suspect attempts to evade police by escaping into a kids' daycare centre.

A shooter with an AR-15 opens fire on 300 clubbers in Orlando, Fla.; hiding in the bathroom, he takes multiple hostages; it's a race against time to save their lives; in Washington, a thief steals a shotgun from a Walmart, and K9 officers track him.

In Florida, a felon breaks into an elementary school, causing a code red alert; a traffic stop in Arizona escalates when the suspects steal an ambulance; officers in Utah respond to reports of a man threatening staff with a gun at a drive-thru.

In Wisconsin, a suspected hit-and-run takes a dangerous turn when a witness opens fire leaving two officers down. In Georgia, a mother and her children hide in a closet after a gang leader barricades himself in their apartment.

In Tennessee, officers arrive at an office where two women and a child are held hostage by a gunman; for 14 hours, officers attempt to secure their release; in Illinois, officers join a multi-state search for an armed bank robber.

In Utah, a wanted felon, who has threatened his family's life, is on the run. As officers close in on him, he makes a desperate move, breaking into a family's home and taking them hostage. Officers work through the night to secure their release.