Gerad Stephens is a minor supporting character in the Dark Knight. He is a police Detective who aids Batman James Gordon and Harvey Dent in their attempts to bring down the Joker.

He was played by Keith Szarabajka.

Biography

Stephens had been on the force for twenty years by the beginning of the movie and is implied to have engaged in police brutality multiple times as he states he earned to tell the difference between people it would work on and the masochists who would enjoy the pain. Despite those methods, Stephens was a man of integrity who gladly helped Gordon in his battles against corruption and supported Batman's vigilantism, seeing that he was necessary for the survival of Gotham City.

When Gordon faked his death as part of a ploy to capture Joker, Stephens was genuinely saddened and tried to comfort his family. He was relieved to see his friend alive after all and approved when Gordon's role in catching Joker earned him a promotion.

As Joker being guarded by Stephens, he taunted him about how he had previously murdered six of his friends with Stephens ultimately then deciding to torture him in spite of seeing through the manipulation at first. This led to Joker being able to take Stephens hostage and forcing the other police to let him go in spite of Stephens pleading for them to shoot Joker even if it killed him too as it would prevent him from being a threat. Stephens later assisted Gordon in attempts to capture Batman after he took the fall for murders committed by Harvey so the city wouldn't lose hope, unaware of the truth.