We Own This City: Is Ahmed Jackson Based on a Real Person?

We Own This City - Is Ahmed Jackson Based on a Real Person
Image Credit: HBO

Who is Ahmed Jackson in We Own This City? Is He Based on a Real Person? Let’s check out. We Own This City‘ is a criminal drama series set in Baltimore that follows the corrupt officers of the Baltimore Police Department. The series goes into the criminal operations of the BPD’s Gun Trace Task Force and its officers, including as Wayne Jenkins and Daniel Hersl, and is based on Justin Fenton’s 2021 book of the same name.

The show also shows the officers’ behaviour through the eyes of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. Attorney Ahmed Jackson, who was just appointed to the case, collaborates with veteran Nicole Steele to examine the GTTF. As a result, viewers must be interested to learn if the character is based on a genuine person.

If you’re curious about Ahmed Jackson in ‘We Own This City,’ here’s everything you need to know.

Must See: We Own This City ‘Part One’ Recap and Ending Explained
Who is Ahmed Jackson
Ian Duff as Ahmed Jackson

Who is Ahmed Jackson from ‘We Own This City’ Part One?

The series debut episode of ‘We Own This City,’ titled ‘Chapter One,’ introduces Ahmed Jackson. He has recently been transferred to the Office of Civil Rights. He is assigned to work with Nicole Steele (Wunmi Mosaku) in the Office of Civil Rights after becoming dissatisfied with his work on criminal prosecutions at the Department of Justice.

Steele informs Jackson about the situation in Baltimore in the aftermath of the death of Freddie Gray, an African American man who died while in police custody. In light of Gray’s death, the Department of Justice is investigating BPD officers for misconduct and assessing the severity of their crime-fighting tactics.

In ‘We Own This City,’ actor Ian Duff takes on the character of Ahmed Jackson. Duff made his acting debut in 2017 after spending a few years polishing his skills in theatre. In 2021, he made his breakthrough as Doc Satchel in the critically acclaimed play ‘Judas and the Black Messiah.’ Duff is also recognised for his roles in ‘The Republic of Sarah‘ and ‘New Amsterdam,’ in which he played Grover Sims and Michael Duke, respectively.

Is Ahmed Jackson Based on a Real Person
Image Credit: HBO

Is Ahmed Jackson a Fictional Character or a Real Person?

No, Ahmed Jackson in ‘We Own This City’ appears to be a fictional character. To begin with, the character does not appear in Justin Fenton’s book “We Own This City,” which serves as the basis for the television show of the same name. Furthermore, Jackson’s supervisor, Nicole Steele, is very certainly a made-up persona.

As a result, Jackson is unlikely to be based on a genuine person. The Department of Justice launched a civil rights investigation against the Baltimore Police Department following the death of Freddie Gray.

However, this investigation was most likely carried out by numerous lawyers, and no one named Ahmed Jackson appears to have worked in the department at the time. As a result, it is safe to assume that Ahmed Jackson is a made-up figure.

Finally, the character allows the show’s creators to provide viewers with a new viewpoint on the moral problems in the plot. The inquiry by Jackson and Steele allows the authors to comment on police brutality while also highlighting the situation of policing in the United States.

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