Continuity mistake: In the beginning when the SWAT team has been dropped on the roof, the helicopter also drop the ropes. From above we can see the ropes land at least ten feet away from the ventilation shaft. When it cuts to POV of one of the SWAT members we can see the rope lying right next to the shaft. (00:02:10)
Continuity mistake: During the verbal fight between Gamble and Street after the bank incident, Gamble grabs Street and slams his head into the mirror and you see glass in Street's hair from the reflection, but when the camera changes to a view of the back of Street's head, you see no glass. (00:12:55)
Continuity mistake: When Montel arrives at the airport and heads for the car waiting for him, the driver is standing right behind the car waiting. When it cuts, the driver comes walking towards the car from a few feet away. (00:23:15)
Continuity mistake: When Street and Hondo are going to meet Deke and roll up on him chasing the man, Deke and the man he's chasing run over the car and Street gets out. In this angle Hondo is already sliding over into the driver seat. When the angle changes, and is next to the passenger door, Hondo is just then removing his seat belt and sliding over. (00:27:15)
Continuity mistake: When Montel is in the restaurant with his uncle, he lays the knife on the table on its side with the blade facing him. In the next shot, without anyone touching the knife, the blade edge is facing up pointed at the uncle. (00:34:25)
Continuity mistake: After Alex cuts his uncle's throat, he pulls a set of keys out of his jacket pocket. The keys he pulls out have a Ford factory alarm attached to them, yet when we see him driving his uncle's car it is a Cadillac. (00:35:00)
Continuity mistake: When Street and Sanchez are at the bar they sit down and you see Sanchez taking her jacket off. Camera angle changes and she is seen taking off her jacket again. (00:52:50)
Continuity mistake: When the bad guy gets on the bus to retrieve Montel, he takes the keys from the dead guard, in the next shot he takes the keys again. (01:04:40)
Continuity mistake: After the scene were the helicopter is shot down by the sniper we see a large piece of the helicopter (possibly a piece of the rotor) dislodge and get stuck in the side of an air vent. Then shot changes to show the copter crash into the street below. When the shot changes back to show the S.W.A.T members getting up there is a clear shot of the air vent with no piece of metal sticking out of it. (01:12:05)
Continuity mistake: There is a shot where an unmarked police car pulls up next to the subway entrance and the cops open the doors (and 3 other cop cars pull up behind this car, however in a following shot from a different view we see the unmarked cop cars open again and this time only 2 cars pull up behind it. (01:25:05)
Continuity mistake: Sanchez and Deke get out of the truck (and close the doors) at the subway entrance but in the next shot we see them do it again. (01:25:05)
Continuity mistake: When the jet is landing on the bridge, the flaps alternate from being fully extended to being fully up. Most noticeably shortly before they stop, the flaps are being retracted in less than a second, which too small a time. (01:34:50)
Continuity mistake: In the scene where the guys are betting that Jim Street can beat TJ in shooting practice, TJ takes off his glasses and talks to Hondo; in the next shot they're back on his face and he takes them off again.
Continuity mistake: During the bus scene TJ stops Montel from getting away by crashing the beige car into the cop car that Montel tried driving away in. When he does this the beige car drives into the intersection crashing into a blue car. Then the angle changes and shows the beige car undamaged but the blue car was damaged.
Continuity mistake: During the sequence when the Mexican gang is trying to take down the police escort that has Montel; right before the first 18-wheeler hits the first two police cars, there is no one in the left car but there is when they are hit.
Continuity mistake: During the escape attempt from the bus, one of the bad guys is seen standing in front of the fake police car waving off real police cars pulling up to the scene. The camera angle changes and you now see the same bad guy leaning up against the police car not doing anything.
Continuity mistake: When Josh Charles and Sam Jackson are competing on the firing range, the close shots show them running with their rifles, while the one overhead shot shows them running without weapons.
Continuity mistake: Right before the team gets paged for the first time, you see one of the members having a glass of wine. After he takes a sip, you see his hand still near his mouth. The camera angle changes and his hand is no longer near his mouth. Camera angle changes again and his hand is back near his mouth.
Continuity mistake: At the beginning of the movie when S.W.A.T. gets to the bank by helicopter they are shown rappelling from it. In one shot they show them right under the landing gear and in the next shot you see them passing the landing gear again.
Continuity mistake: When Hondo and Street go to the hospital to find Chavez, and they talk to her partner and he hits the guy in the back of the head; as Hondo and Street walk off you see the officer and the Hispanic guy standing and sitting there normally.
Answer: The SWAT Captain originally kicked Street and Gamble off the team and out of the SWAT Division completely for disobeying orders resulting in a hostage being shot. The SWAT Lieutenant convinced the Captain to keep the two officers in the division on a probationary basis to work back towards getting back on the team. Gamble was insulted by the probationary assignment and later resigned. The Captain offered Street the chance for immediate reinstatement to the team if he placed all blame on Gamble. When Street chose the probationary assignment over blaming Gamble or resigning alongside Gamble, everyone assumed Street cut some type of deal to remain in the SWAT Division without knowing the whole story.