Captain Leland Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine)

Ted Levine as Captain Leland Stottlemeyer

He is a captain in the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) and a longtime (even if long-suffering) friend of Adrian Monk from their days on the force together where he served as Monk's fourth partner and later watch commander. His assistant, and source of much strife, is Lieutenant Randy Disher.

Relationship with Adrian Monk

In the early episodes of the show especially, there is a certain degree of tension between Stottlemeyer and Monk. Stottlemeyer is somewhat antagonistic toward Monk, as he resents being forced (frequently by powers higher than he, such as the Mayor or the Police Commissioner) into calling on Monk's assistance, and is frequently exasperated by Monk's many quirks. Also inherent in this hostility is a certain degree of jealousy; Stottlemeyer appears only too aware that he is not nearly the detective that Monk is. He is also skeptical of Monk's ability to perform as a police officer, aware that Monk's psychological problems are a great handicap in the high-stress life of the police department; in the episode "Mr. Monk Goes to the Carnival", he is forced to betray Monk by honestly revealing his misgivings about allowing Monk back into the police department to the panel evaluating Monk's request. Sharona calls him on his jealousy by telling Stottlemeyer he should "at least have the decency to stab him in the front," and noting that Stottlemeyer owes Monk that much since Monk does all the work and he takes all the credit.

Despite these tensions, however, Stottlemeyer also has a great deal of sympathy and respect for Monk; even Stottlemeyer cannot deny Monk's abilities. Once convinced of the validity of one of Monk's theories, Stottlemeyer always proves a staunch ally in apprehending the culprit. A turning point for the character came in the second season episode "Mr. Monk and the Captain's Wife", when Stottlemeyer's own wife Karen is seriously injured and put in a coma. Though she recovers, Stottlemeyer is left with a taste of the kind of pain Monk bears and becomes far more sympathetic and respectful to him, if still easily exasperated by Monk's more extreme idiosyncrasies.

Another example of Stottlemeyer's loyalty as a friend came in "Mr. Monk Takes Manhattan", with the captain assisting in Monk's continuing investigation of Trudy's murder. He goes with Monk to New York City to follow up on a clue, and harshly confronts a New York City police captain for concealing information that was essential to Monk to solving the murder of his "friend's wife," remarking that that was the only thing he cared about at the time. In "Mr. Monk Is On The Run", when Monk is framed for murder, Stottlemeyer's loyalty to Monk is further shown by his willingness to help Monk fake his own death, risking his own career and freedom.

Relationship with Randy Disher

His relationship with Lt. Disher borders from amused tolerance to frustration. He puts up with his idiosyncrasies and even barely resists laughing at some of his outlandish theories and quirks. It is such that he sometimes prefers to talk to Monk instead of him. However, he appreciates Randy's abilities and even harbors some affection for him, especially in dangerous situations. He even goes out to help Randy win his money back in "Mr. Monk Goes to Vegas".

Family and Romance

In "Mr. Monk and the Captain's Marriage", Stottlemeyer believes that his wife, Karen, is having an extramarital affair. At the end of the episode it is revealed that she is not having an affair, but instead is filing for divorce. The episode ends with Stottlemeyer walking out the door with his suitcases. During this episode he receives a yo-yo in anger management class that he can be seen with in later episodes.

He has two children, Jared and Max. A woman, Linda Fusco, falls in love with him in "Mr. Monk, Private Eye". She returns in "Mr. Monk and His Biggest Fan" and again in "Mr. Monk and the Bad Girlfriend", where she is arrested by Stottlemeyer, for murder. We learn by the end of the episode that he was going to propose to her during their trip to Hawaii which they would have left for that night. Instead, he throws the ring into the ocean, saying that it was "nothing, just a rock."

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