History Main / CowboyCop

[[caption-width-right:300:[[SeanConneryIsAboutToShootYou Dirty Larry is shooting you]].[[note]]Also, how the hell was this rated E?[[/note]]]]

* Zig-zagged in ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/14997911/chapters/34760702 The Horsewomen Of Las Vegas]]'' after the gunfight at the Jakked Motel [[spoiler: where Wrestling/{{Naomi}} gets killed]]. The brass at the LVPD decide to spin it that she (a patrolman) "went cowboy" and Wrestling/{{Bayley}} (a vice detective) went after her to try and save her, as one of the dead at the scene(presumed to have been killed by Bayley) was Steve Blackman, an international assassin on Interpol's most wanted list. This gets her an unwanted reputation for being one herself. Much to her annoyance, it gets her a lot of unwelcome respect from the Clark County Sheriff's department, including Sheriff [[Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin Steve Austin]].

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

Be aware: pretty much everyone hates cowboy cops in RealLife. Even if their illegal searches and torture-based confessions solve cases, the cases collapse in court, as vital evidence is ruled inadmissible. As well, it compromises other investigations, gives police a bad reputation, and in worse case scenarios, their "shoot first, ask questions later" methods ''get people killed'', including innocent bystanders.

Cowboy Cops are almost always asked to TurnInYourBadge by DaChief and go on leave pending the inquiry, 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 of bribes and kickbacks they've worked so hard to set up. As part of being unorthodox, the Cowboy Cop often has at least one [[StreetSmart contact on the street]] to feed him information that can't be obtained through an official channels, so even when he's cooling his heels on leave, he can get intel.

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 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. For a policeman involved with literal WildWest cowboys, see TheSheriff.

Be aware: pretty much everyone hates cowboy cops in RealLife. Even if their illegal searches and torture-based confessions solve cases, the cases collapse in court, as vital evidence is ruled inadmissible. As well, it compromises other investigations, gives police a bad reputation and in worse case scenarios, their "shoot first, ask questions later" methods ''get people killed'', including innocent bystanders.

* Zig-zagged in ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/14997911/chapters/34760702 The Horsewomen Of Las Vegas]]'' after the gunfight at the Jakked Motel [[spoiler: where Wrestling/{{Naomi}} gets killed]]. The brass at the LVPD decide to spin it that she (a partolman) "went cowboy" and Wrestling/{{Bayley}} (a vice detective) went after her to try and save her, as one of the dead at the scene(presumed to have been killed by Bayley) was Steve Blackman, an international assassin on Interpol's most wanted list. This gets her a unwanted reputation of being one herself. Much to her annoyance, it gets her a lot of unwelcome respect from the Clark County Sheriff's department, including Sheriff [[Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin Steve Austin]].

* The internet comedy group [=BriTANick=] has performed a sketch during at least one of their live shows featuring a Cowboy Cop parody character named [=MacNamara=] who explains to DaChief that he acts the way he does because [[spoiler:his wife and children were killed by a werewolf.]] Understandably, the chief is skeptical, [[spoiler:and rightfully so, because it turns out [=MacNamara=] just shot his dog while pretending it was a werewolf and subsequently claimed to everyone his family was dead when they obviously weren't, all so he could be seen as insane and be given early retirement. It doesn't work, so he changes tactics and pretends to transform into a werewolf himself. When it seems like he's about to get naked, the chief relents and grants him the early retirement.]]

* As a detective in ''VideoGame/TroubleInTerroristTown'', LetsPlay/{{Turpster}} tends to favour shooting first and not bothering with the questions, at least in LetsPlay/{{Sips}}' videos. This gets to the point where he dubs 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. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIX_wFKZvF0&list=UUD4INvKvy83OXwAkRjaQKtw#t=487 Video here]].

Sure, police work may be built upon rules and procedures, but they usually make for bad, boring stories. Sometimes you have to [[ScrewTheRulesIm DoingWhatsRight bend the rules]], [[JackBauerInterrogationTechnique rough up the suspects]], [[ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight moon your supervisors]] and [[OnlyBadGuysCallTheirLawyers shred the Constitution]] to get stuff done.

Sure, police work may be built upon rules and procedures, but they usually make for bad, boring stories. 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.

Sure, police work may be built upon rules and procedures, but they usually make for bad, boring 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.

Sure, our society may be built upon rules and procedures, but they usually 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.

Be aware: pretty much everyone hates cowboy cops in RealLife. Even if their illegal searches and torture-based confessions solve cases, they case collapses in court, as vital evidence is ruled inadmissible. As well, it compromises other investigations, gives police a bad reputation and in worse case scenarios, ''gets people killed.''

A Cowboy Cop may be an AntiHero (or an occasional ByronicHero) if he is the protagonist of the show, typically HotBlooded and passionate about his maverick antics, or a JerkWithAHeartOfGold whose [[CassandraTruth unlikely claims will generally be proven correct]]. However, in shows that feature cops as secondary characters, the Cowboy Cop is often at odds with the main characters, as he will trample all over the crime scene and/or the suspect's rights. If DaChief is a Cowboy Cop he would often reprimand the naive upstart who is being too soft with the criminals and will gladly let the loose cannons go in shooting first and asking questions later.

In a SWAT Team type situation where the cops are expected to shoot to kill, he does not care about human shields or property damage and will more often than not almost level the place to take down the suspects ''(especially'' with a [[DrivesLikeCrazy car or truck]]), with extreme lethal force.

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 at least one [[StreetSmart contact on the street]] to feed him information that can't be obtained through an official channels.

Just as with cowboy sheriffs in the old west, cowboy cops rarely show any remorse for using lethal force. First kill scenarios are rarely depicted; these guys (and occasionally gals) have usually filled whole cemeteries to capacity before we meet them for the first time.

Be aware: pretty much everyone hates cowboy cops in RealLife. They don't solve cases, they cause cases to collapse in court, vital evidence to be ruled inadmissible, compromise investigations and in worse case scenarios ''get people killed.''

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

[[caption-width-right:300:[[SeanConneryIsAboutToShootYou Dirty Larry is Shooting You]].]]

* The "Cop" character archetype in ''TabletopGame/{{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.

* Parodied in [[http://www.theonion.com/content/news/vigilante_cop_acts_as_judge_jury these]] [[http://www.theonion.com/content/news/entire_precinct_made_up_of_loose articles]] from ''Magazine/TheOnion''.

* The Maverick Cop from ''TabletopGame/FengShui'' is nearly invariably one of these kinds of cops. In many games, he or she is usually paired up with the more [[ByTheBookCop by-the-book]] Karate Cop.

* ''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.

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. For a policeman involved with literal WildWest cowboys, see TheSheriff.

Be aware: pretty much everyone hates cowboy cops in RealLife. They don't solve cases, they ''do'' get people killed.

Being a Cowboy Cop may be just be backstory -- the character might make the transition to another field such as being a federal officer or a [[TheMenInBlack Man in Black]], where their methods might fit in a little better.

In a SWAT Team type situation where the cops are expected to shoot to kill, he does not care about human shields or property damage and will more often than not almost level the place to take down the suspects, with extreme lethal force.

.

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/atarilarry.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:[[SeanConneryIsAboutToShootYou Dirty Larry is Shooting You]].]]
->'''Captain:''' Senator Mendoza is one of the most respected men in this state, [=McBain=]. And 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 Captain, I have proof dat he is head of an international drug cartel!\\
'''Captain:''' I don't wanna hear it, [=McBain=]! You're outta here!\\
''[[=McBain=]'' ''punches the captain out a window.]''\\
'''[=McBain=]:''' That makes two of us.
-->-- ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', "The Way We Was"

%% One quote is sufficient. Please place additional entries on the quotes tab.

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

Sure, our society may be built upon rules and procedures, but they usually 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.

A Cowboy Cop may be an AntiHero (or an occasional ByronicHero) if he is the protagonist of the show, typically HotBlooded and passionate about his maverick antics, or a JerkWithAHeartOfGold whose [[CassandraTruth unlikely claims will generally be proven correct]]. However, in shows that feature cops as secondary characters, the Cowboy Cop is often at odds with the main characters, as he will trample all over the crime scene and/or the suspect's rights. If DaChief is a Cowboy Cop he would often reprimand the naive upstart who is being too soft with the criminals and will gladly let the loose cannons go in shooting first and asking questions later.

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

In a SWAT Team type situation where the cops are expected to shoot to kill, he does not care about human shields or property damage and will more often than not almost level the place to take down the suspects, with extreme lethal force.

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 at least one [[StreetSmart contact on the street]] to feed him information that can't be obtained through an official channels.

Just as with cowboy sheriffs in the old west, cowboy cops rarely show any remorse for using lethal force. First kill scenarios are rarely depicted; these guys (and occasionally gals) have usually filled whole cemeteries to capacity before we meet them for the first time.

Being a Cowboy Cop may be just be backstory -- the character might make the transition to another field such as being a federal officer or a [[TheMenInBlack Man in Black]], where their methods might fit in a little better.

May often be the recipient of ArsonMurderAndLifesaving.

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

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. For a policeman involved with literal WildWest cowboys, see TheSheriff.
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!!Examples:

[[index]]
* CowboyCop/AnimeAndManga
* CowboyCop/ComicBooks
* CowboyCop/{{Film}}
* CowboyCop/{{Literature}}
* CowboyCop/LiveActionTV
* CowboyCop/VideoGames
* {{CowboyCop/Webcomics}}
* CowboyCop/WesternAnimation
* CowboyCop/RealLife
[[/index]]

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[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder: Advertising and Commercials]]
* One Sprint commercial proclaims that its video phones make everything awesome, and as proof, shows a clip from a (nonexistent) film called "Epic Renegade Cop" where Callahan is ordered Turn In Your Weapon by DaChief. [[ExtendedDisarming Among the things Callahan sets down]] are a (ludicrously huge) HandCannon, a pair of nunchucks, a machine gun, and, when DaChief glares at him, a rocket launcher.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Strips]]
* Parodied by the "comic within the comic", in Al Capp's classic ''ComicStrip/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.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fanfiction]]
* Garrus Vakarian of ''Fanfic/{{Renegade}}'', to an extent that even his main universe counterpart would consider a bit much. His favorite method of entering buildings [[DynamicEntry is via truck]], his favorite type of gunshot is [[JackBauerInterrogationTechnique to the kneecap]], and apparently [[TankGoodness he can drive a tank]].
* 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). It ends up being a RunningGag in ''FanFic/StarWarsLineage.''
* Zig-zagged in ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/14997911/chapters/34760702 The Horsewomen Of Las Vegas]]'' after the gunfight at the Jakked Motel [[spoiler: where Wrestling/{{Naomi}} gets killed]]. The brass at the LVPD decide to spin it that she (a partolman) "went cowboy" and Wrestling/{{Bayley}} (a vice detective) went after her to try and save her, as one of the dead at the scene(presumed to have been killed by Bayley) was Steve Blackman, an international assassin on Interpol's most wanted list. This gets her a unwanted reputation of being one herself. Much to her annoyance, it gets her a lot of unwelcome respect from the Clark County Sheriff's department, including Sheriff [[Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin Steve Austin]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* The "Cop" character archetype in ''TabletopGame/{{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.
* In ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'''s Ravnica block, the Boros Legion was an entire guild of this sort - it's what you get when you combine White's morality and concern for the greater good with Red's emotional nature and individuality, and then give it the task of enforcing the law.
* The Maverick Cop from ''TabletopGame/FengShui'' is nearly invariably one of these kinds of cops. In many games, he or she is usually paired up with the more [[ByTheBookCop by-the-book]] Karate Cop.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Animation]]
* ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'': Dangeresque, Strong Bad's action-hero alter ego.
* The ''WebVideo/UltraFastPony'' episode "Stay Tuned" turns into a CopShow parody, with Pinkie Pie in the role of "cop on the edge, living on the limits of the law, with a gambling problem and a brother on the other side!"
* ''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.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* The internet comedy group [=BriTANick=] has performed a sketch during at least one of their live shows featuring a Cowboy Cop parody character named [=MacNamara=] who explains to DaChief that he acts the way he does because [[spoiler:his wife and children were killed by a werewolf.]] Understandably, the chief is skeptical, [[spoiler:and rightfully so, because it turns out [=MacNamara=] just shot his dog while pretending it was a werewolf and subsequently claimed to everyone his family was dead when they obviously weren't, all so he could be seen as insane and be given early retirement. It doesn't work, so he changes tactics and pretends to transform into a werewolf himself. When it seems like he's about to get naked, the chief relents and grants him the early retirement.]]
* ''Funny Or Die's'' ''[[http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/2621d24714/tough-justice-with-michelle-dockery Tough Justice]]'', which pits [[Series/TheShield Vic Mackey]] alongside Lady Mary from ''Series/DowntonAbbey''.
* Parodied in [[http://www.theonion.com/content/news/vigilante_cop_acts_as_judge_jury these]] [[http://www.theonion.com/content/news/entire_precinct_made_up_of_loose articles]] from ''Magazine/TheOnion''.
* ''Blog/SeekingTruth'': Zeke Strahm, though he is woefully WrongGenreSavvy and ends up having to deal with [[CosmicHorrorStory a problem a bit bigger than an ordinary scumbag]].
* As a detective in ''VideoGame/TroubleInTerroristTown'', LetsPlay/{{Turpster}} tends to favour shooting first and not bothering with the questions, at least in LetsPlay/{{Sips}}' videos. This gets to the point where he dubs 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. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIX_wFKZvF0&list=UUD4INvKvy83OXwAkRjaQKtw#t=487 Video here]].


[[/folder]]
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-->'''[=McBain=]''': '''''MENDOZAAAAAAA!!!'''''

* CowboyCop/WebComics

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. For a policeman involved with literal OldWest cowboys, see TheSheriff.

* Parodied in [[http://www.theonion.com/content/news/vigilante_cop_acts_as_judge_jury these]] [[http://www.theonion.com/content/news/entire_precinct_made_up_of_loose articles]] from ''Comic/TheOnion''.