Joe Christie was a Detective Sergeant with the San Francisco Police Department, and was Adrian Monk's last partner before Monk was discharged. Soon after Monk was discharged, he was accused of stealing cocaine confiscated from a drug dealer, causing the deaths of two uniformed officers who were later killed by the dealer. He was dismissed in disgrace. In actuality, he never stole the cocaine. It was the evidence clerk, Clara Toplyn, who stole the cocaine, and smuggled it out via a police auction by customizing a bike that was intended for a girl to become a boys bike to smuggle it out, and then promptly retired due to the drug dealer bribing her with $750,000.