History Main / CowboyCop

* Several examples in the ''LawAndOrder'' franchise:

** Robert Goran from ''LawAndOrderCriminalIntent'' has done this as well, particularly in later seasons.
** Elliot Stabler from ''LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit''. Let's just say that if he suspects you of something, wear a helmet. And a cup.

* {{Deconstructed|Trope}} in ''Blitz'', where JasonStatham's character, Sergeant Brant, has severe anger issues that lead him to excessively brutalize criminals. This is shown in the opening scene, where he beats the crap out of a trio of car thieves with a hurling stick ("An Irish sport, cross between hockey and murder.") He is repeatedly chewed out both in the media and in the police station for his antics. This tendency resulted in him thoroughly beating down Weiss, the movie's SerialKiller antagonist, about a year before the movie began, resulting in him being hospitalized. Weiss, already a bad apple before Brant beat the everloving crap out of him, was apparently driven off the deep end by the experience and snapped, turning into a cop-killing lunatic.

* ''{{Shaft}}'' - SamuelLJackson doesn't really get his groove on until he turns in his badge -- by throwing it like a shuriken to embed itself in the wall next to a judge's head.

* ''DominionTankPolice'' is what happens when you get an entire ''battalion'' of guys like this.

* Shannon Mullins in ''The Heat'' is a rare female example.

* ''McCloud'' was another literal cowboy cop. A marshal from Taos, New Mexico who wore a cowboy hat, cowboy boots and a leather coat while on "temporary" assignment in ''Manhattan!'' He was less 'break the rules' than bend them, but still drove his superiors crazy.

* On ''Series/TwentyFour'' Jack Bauer is a Cowboy Federal Agent ("'''[[CatchPhrase A FEDERAL AGENT!]]'''") with a long history of [[JackBauerInterrogationTechnique using excessive violence]] [[hottip:*:We named the trope after him!]] and [[ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight disregarding protocol]] in the name of saving innocent lives and [[TheWarOnTerror fighting terrorism]]. He [[VigilanteMan goes rogue]] at least once a season when the guys in charge don't believe his [[CassandraTruth Cassandra Truths]], and he's probably [[TurnInYourBadge turned in his badge]] more often than he's turned in his paperwork. In-universe, given that [[RealTime the entire show]] is a RaceAgainstTheClock, Jack's methods are (usually) justified since there's never more than an hour or two before the next terrorist attack can be launched, or the latest group of hostages need to be saved, or the next MacGuffin needs to be found.

[[quoteright:250:[[SeanConneryIsAboutToShootYou http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dirtylarry_1610.jpg]]]]

'''Chief:''' [[CommanderContrarian I don't wanna hear it, [=McBain=]!]] [[TurnInYourBadge You're outta here!]]

* Travis in ''CommonLaw''; the events of the series were set into motion when his ByTheBookCop partner Wes pulled a gun on him -- because Travis was going to kill a murderous DirtyCop. Travis's mentor actually uses the term to describe himself, and is stated to have an extremely colorful record in which he ultimately "did more good tham harm."

* Most of the main cast of {{Psych}} qualify. Shawn (and by association his partner Gus) are hired on for "[[PhonyPsychic Psychic]]" help, which here means, break every rule in the book. They are tolerated because, you guessed it, they get results (although usually they're actually closer to BunnyEarsLawyer and to outsiders appear harmlessly eccentric). Detective Lassiter is actually very by the book, but in the eyes of internal affairs, he's a TriggerHappy time bomb, whom unfortunately is always on the same cases as the psychic. He once is tasked with training a new recruit that very much has the personality others perceive him to. He can't stand her. Shawn's dad, a retired cop turned head of the consultants, is normally by the book, but will throw it out if he's invested enough in a case. ReasonableAuthorityFigure [[DaChief Chief Vick]] is viewed by her bosses at city hall because she lets this go on.

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* Parodied by the "comic within the comic", in Al Capp's classic ''LilAbner''. "Fearless Fosdick", who Abner Yokum idolized, was a satiric CaptainErsatz of classic comic strip detective ComicStrip/DickTracy, and he often turned up the Cowboy Cop aspects of the Tracy strip to at least 11 (if not higher). The typical conclusion of a Fosdick adventure would feature Fosdick himself ventilated by a number of large bullet holes in his person (though in the context of the strip, these amounted to mere flesh wounds), while he stood surrounded by large piles of bullet-riddled corpses of innocent bystanders.
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* Harley Stone (Rutger Hauer) in ''Split Second''.

* Joe Don Baker's character in the film ''Final Justice'' (as seen on ''MST3K'') is a figurative ''and'' literal example, as a Texas lawman who doesn't let little things like international boundaries get in the way of gunning down criminals.

* Travis in ''Common Law''; the events of the series were set into motion when his ByTheBookCop partner Wes pulled a gun on him -- because Travis was going to kill a murderous DirtyCop. Travis's mentor actually uses the term to describe himself, and is stated to have an extremely colorful record in which he ultimately "did more good tham harm."
* The character Ralph Lamb in the series Vegas is based upon on the real-life character with the same name. Ralph Lamb was a rancher who was the sheriff of Las Vegas from 1961 to 1979. The man was well known for riding horses into town and let his fists do the talking. He also introduced modern crime labs to Las Vegas, formed the first Las Vegas SWAT team, and was generally a pain in the ass for the mafia.

* The "Cop" character archetype in ''Cyberpunk 2020'' and its related games is essentially this trope. This is somewhat justified in-setting where everyone and their mother is packing high-caliber heat and cyberware.

* Fallout3 had an entire organization of cowboy cops that the player could join: The Regulators.

* Creator/CharlesBronson played a lot of these cops back in the day, who circumstances would force to take the law into his own hands and become a VigilanteMan delivering violent justice, such as in the movie ''KinjiteForbiddenSubjects'', where he's forced to do just that against a ruthless pimp running a child prostitution ring.

* CharlesBronson played a lot of these cops back in the day, who circumstances would force to take the law into his own hands and become a VigilanteMan delivering violent justice, such as in the movie ''KinjiteForbiddenSubjects'', where he's forced to do just that against a ruthless pimp running a child prostitution ring.

* Parodied on ''CloneHigh'', when Gandhi and George Washington Carver collaborate on a SaltAndPepper [[BuddyCopShow Buddy Cop Movie]] called ''Black And Tan''. The gag is that Carver (a black guy) plays the role typically associated with the white cop, while Gandhi plays:

* All of the ''GalaxyRangers'' are to some extent or another. Zachary is more of a ByTheBookCop in comparison to the other three (though [[NotSoAboveItAll he has his moments]]), while Gooseman is a ClintEastwood {{Expy}} with all that implies (and can get away with in an animated series).

* Thoroughly and at times brutally {{deconstructed|Trope}} in ''TheWire'' with its (usually) lead character, [=McNulty=]. He thinks that being a Cowboy Cop makes him a hero, but it really winds up getting him in trouble, alienating him from friends and co-workers, and annoying everyone around him. He is depicted as immature, self-destructive, and [[BecauseImGoodAtIt more concerned about proving he's smarter than the system than being a moral crusader for justice.]]\\

* Most of the main cast of Psych qualify. Shawn (and by association his partner Gus) are hired on for "[[PhonyPsychic Psychic]]" help, which here means, break every rule in the book. They are tolerated because, you guessed it, they get results (although usually they're actually closer to BunnyEarsLawyer and to outsiders appear harmlessly eccentric). Detective Lassiter is actually very by the book, but in the eyes of internal affairs, he's a TriggerHappy time bomb, whom unfortunately is always on the same cases as the psychic. He once is tasked with training a new recruit that very much has the personality others perceive him to. He can't stand her. Shawn's dad, a retired cop turned head of the consultants, is normally by the book, but will throw it out if he's invested enough in a case. ReasonableAuthorityFigure [[DaChief Chief Vick]] is viewed by her bosses at city hall because she lets this go on.

* In the re-make of ''S.W.A.T.'' Gamble tries a Cowboy Cop move in the beginning and winds up shooting a civilian while killing a terrorist. The resulting lawsuit gets both he and his partner kicked off the team. Then, when the new team is formed all the Cowboy Cop subtropes are played perfectly straight. Up to and including SamuelLJackson rejecting a ByTheBookCop from the team because he's too mild-mannered.

* When maverick cops show up in the likes of ''Radio/{{Dragnet}}'' and ''Series/AdamTwelve'', they're portrayed as [[WellIntentionedExtremist well-intentioned extremists]] at best, somewhat {{villain}}ous at worst, and usually end up either back in line or dead.

* In ''SWAT4'', acting like you are in ''RainbowSix'' or ''GhostRecon'' where you shoot the criminals without them firing back can get you plenty of "Unauthorized use of Lethal Force". in the elite difficulties, this hits even harder as the death of more than 2 suspects is an automatic mission failure.

* Thoroughly and at times brutally {{deconstructed|Trope}} in ''TheWire'' with its (usually) lead character, [=McNulty=]. He thinks that being a Cowboy Cop makes him a hero, but it really winds up getting him in trouble, alienating him from friends and co-workers, and annoying everyone around him. He is depicted as immature, self-destructive, and more concerned about proving he's smarter than the system than being a moral crusader for justice.\\

* [[Series/TwentyFour Jack Bauer]] is a Cowboy Federal Agent ("'''[[CatchPhrase A FEDERAL AGENT!]]'''") with a long history of [[JackBauerInterrogationTechnique using excessive violence]] [[hottip:*:We named the trope after him!]] and [[ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight disregarding protocol]] in the name of saving innocent lives and [[TheWarOnTerror fighting terrorism]]. He [[VigilanteMan goes rogue]] at least once a season when the guys in charge don't believe his [[CassandraTruth Cassandra Truths]], and he's probably [[TurnInYourBadge turned in his badge]] more often than he's turned in his paperwork. In-universe, given that [[RealTime the entire show]] is a RaceAgainstTheClock, Jack's methods are (usually) justified since there's never more than an hour or two before the next terrorist attack can be launched, or the latest group of hostages need to be saved, or the next MacGuffin needs to be found.

* Harvey Bullock from the ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'' comics is a Cowboy Cop at times. He often seems to be butting heads with Commissioner Jim Gordon over some aspect of police procedure. He could verge on being a DirtyCop. He used to hate Batman in particular, but has since developed a sense of respect for him.

* The InDeath series. Eve somehow manages to be '''both''' a ByTheBookCop and this! Peabody is a straighter example of ByTheBookCop but not entirely.
* Lieutenant (later Sergeant) Murphy plays this straight when she helps out [[ChaoticGood Harry]] [[DestructiveSavior Dresden]] but is also distinctly LawfulGood, especially in the early books to InspectorJavert levels.

* It has been suggested that Captain Holly Short of the ''Literature/ArtemisFowl'' series may not own a copy of the rule book. If she does, she has certainly never read it.

* ''MassEffect'''s Garrus Vakarian, although considerably more polite and soft-spoken than is usual for the trope, is certainly a Cowboy Cop. In his very first appearance, he is arguing with [[DaChief Executor Pallin]] over his most recent investigation, and throughout the rest of the game he's a frequent supporter of [[KillHimAlready killing criminals rather than giving them the chance to escape justice]]. He also is a {{deconstruction}} of the trope because his Cowboy Cop urges are not tolerated by C-Sec. As such, a Paragon character can rein him in and teach him that it's important to do things the right way, not just get them done. [[spoiler:Although it doesn't end up sticking completely -- even if you took this route with him, he's become a [[VigilanteMan vigilante]] by ''ME 2'', which he will apologise for.]] In fact, Garrus even admits in ''MassEffect2'' that he isn't a [[PlanetOfHats very good turian]], because of his refusal to obey orders if he feels the order is unjust.