No Code of Conduct

The Phoenix Trotting Park made its big-screen debut in the 1998 film "No Code of Conduct" starring Charlie Sheen and Martin Sheen. The building can be seen prominently in several shots and was used for a major explosion scene towards the end of the movie. The explosion became a source of controversy for the movie's production crew after a number of pigeons were killed or injured during the blast. ^[1]

Basic Details

"No Code of Conduct" is an action movie starring Charlie Sheen and Mark Dacascos. It was co-written, produced and directed by Bret Michaels (of 1980s glam-rock band "Poison" fame) in his directorial debut. The movie was produced by Dimension Films and Toddler Pictures and released in December 1998. Budget for the 95-minute film was $12,000,000. ^[2]

Synopsis

The film centers around police officers Jake Peterson (Charlie Sheen) and Bill Peterson (Martin Sheen) as father and son detectives who uncover a conspiracy to smuggle drugs from Mexico to Phoenix. It is a high-action film with a car chase, shootouts, and avenging the death of a fellow detective.

Official Trailer

Explosion Scene

According to a January 1, 1998 article in The Arizona Republic, director Bret Michaels had the idea to set the movie in Phoenix while on a drive from the West Coast, during which he passed by the abandoned racetrack off Interstate 10, just west of the city. ^[4]

The film ends with a dramatic showdown between the good guys and the bad guys that results in a massive explosion at the Trotting Park. The production company detonated a total of 14 barrels, each one filled with 50 gallons of gasoline, to generate the massive explosion for the movie. At the time, the abandoned grandstand had been inhabited by a large number of pigeons. When the explosion scene was filmed, some of the birds were killed or received burns from the heat and flames. An anonymous tipster called two local organizations, Wildlife Concepts and Urban Wildlife Society, who rescued and provided aid to nearly all of the injured birds.

Response

The directors and production crew were criticized for not doing enough to prevent injury to the pigeons inhabiting the Trotting Park. Although they were not a protected species, the unintentional injuries to the birds prevented the film from being approved by the American Humane Association, which publishes guidelines and advisories for animal use in films.

According to an article in the February 28, 1998 Arizona Republic, Bret Michaels personally donated $2,500 to the Arizona Humane Society following the incident. In a quote, the Arizona Humane Society director Ken White said of Michaels: "He feels really remorseful about the role he had to play in the animals dying here, and he's not really paying guilt money, but rather just helping them recoup the legitimate out-of-pocket expenses in caring for the birds." ^[5]

In 2021, the film has a 44% rating on the movie review site RottenTomatoes.com.