History Main / CowboyCop

* ''Chuck Steel: Raging Balls of Steel Justice''. The {{claymation}} CowboyCop uses every [[ClicheStorm cliche]] expected of a 1985 action hero, failing to realise that it's actually 1986.

* Qui-Gon Jinn in [[https://www.fanfiction.net/u/3380015/ruth-baulding ruth baulding's]] works, in a ToBeLawfulOrGood choice, will always choose Good. To the point where, in ''Exodus,'' he ''lets himself get enslaved because he knows the Council will send someone to rescue him'' (and the rest of the slaves with him).

May often be the recipient of ArsonMurderAndLifeSaving.

Sure, our society may be built upon rules and procedures, but they make for bad television. Sometimes you have to bend the rules, [[JackBauerInterrogationTechnique rough up the suspects]], [[ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight moon your supervisors]] and [[OnlyBadGuysCallTheirLawyers shred the Constitution]] to get stuff done.

He will usually be a detective, as a beat cop is much ls likely to be intimately involved in a case's full duration.

-->-- ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', "Dead Homer Society"

''[=McBain=]'' ''punches the captain out a window.''\\

Compare BunnyEarsLawyer. Contrast ByTheBookCop. Compare ''and'' contrast DirtyCop and RabidCop. While a Cowboy Cop is generally more well-intentioned than a Dirty Cop, more {{deconstruct|edTrope}}ive works will concede that they both show [[NotSoDifferent equal scorn]] for necessary regulations; meanwhile a Rabid Cop is a Cowboy who's lost all sense of perspective and morality. For the military version, see MilitaryMaverick. OldFashionedCopper is the specifically British subtrope.

[[caption-width-right:300:That meter maid looks like trouble.]]

''He`s a loose cannon, but ''DAMMIT'' he's the best we have!''

* ''Funny Or Die's'' ''[[http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/2621d24714/tough-justice-with-michelle-dockery Tough Justice]]'', which pits [[TheShield Vic Mackey]] alongside Lady Mary from ''DowntonAbbey''.

Cowboy Cops are almost always asked to TurnInYourBadge by DaChief, at which point they usually become a VigilanteMan in regards to whatever bad guy they are after for either the rest of the movie or until they get their badge back. As a result of his flagrant rule-breaking, InternalAffairs ''hates'' the Cowboy Cop with a passion. Often policemen who oppose the Cowboy Cop are revealed to be {{Dirty Cop}}s, scared that he's going to shake up the system they've worked so hard to manipulate in their favor. As part of being unorthodox, the Cowboy Cop often has his at least one [[StreetSmart contact on the street]] to feed him information that otherwise can't be obtained through an official channel.

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

[[caption-width-right:248:That meter maid looks like trouble.]]

''...But he gets results!''

-->'''McBain''': '''''MENDOZAAAAAAA!!!'''''

The TropeNamer for "Cowboy Cop" is ''BeverlyHillsCop'' (1984), then the term was popularized by ''Film/DieHard'' (1988).

->'''[[DaChief Captain]]:''' Senator Mendoza is [[VillainWithGoodPublicity one of the most respected men in this state]], [=McBain=]. And [[ListOfTransgressions you drove his limo off a cliff, broke the necks of three of his bodyguards, and drove a bus through his front door]]?!\\

'''Captain:''' [[CommanderContrarian I don't wanna hear it, McBain!]] [[TurnInYourBadge You're outta here!]]\\
''[=McBain=]'' ''punches the captain out a window''\\
'''[=McBain=]:''' [[BondOneLiner That makes two of us]].

* As a detective in ''VideoGame/TroubleInTerroristTown'', LetsPlay/{{Turpster}} tends to favour shooting first and not bothering with the questions, dubbing himself the "RDM Detective" [[note]]RDM stands for "random death match" and is a potentially bannable offence in TTT, since games can degenerate into pointless shootouts and ruin the fun for others[[/note]]. This eventually presses LetsPlay/LewisBrindley's BerserkButton and drives him to murder Turps out of sheer anger even though they're both innocent. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIX_wFKZvF0&list=UUD4INvKvy83OXwAkRjaQKtw#t=487 Video here]].

Cowboy Cops are almost always asked to TurnInYourBadge by DaChief, at which point they usually become a VigilanteMan in regards to whatever bad guy they are after for either the rest of the movie or until they get their badge back. As a result of his flagrant rule-breaking, InternalAffairs ''hates'' the Cowboy Cop with a passion. Often policemen who oppose the Cowboy Cop are revealed to be {{Dirty Cop}}s, scared that he's going to shake up the system they've worked so hard to manipulate in their favor.

''[=McBain=]'' ''(punches the captain out a window)''\\

->'''Chief:''' Senator Mendoza is [[VillainWithGoodPublicity one of the most respected men in this state]], [=McBain=]. And [[ListOfTransgressions you drove his limo off a cliff, broke the necks of three of his bodyguards, and drove a bus through his front door]]?!\\
'''[=McBain=]:''' But Chief, I have proof dat he is head of an international drug cartel!\\
'''Chief:''' [[CommanderContrarian I don't wanna hear it, McBain!]] [[TurnInYourBadge You're outta here!]]