"Dragnet": Two Times Joe Friday Had To Shoot To Kill

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("The Big Thief", 1953)
("The Shooting Board", 1967)
In both decades of "Dragnet", Joe Friday (Jack Webb) only had to shoot to kill twice.
The first time he was forced to kill an armed suspect, it hit Friday hard.
He was wracked with guilt and regret afterward.
The second time occurred when Friday interrupted a robbery in progress.
This time, Friday's main concern was clearing his name...
...after his story was called into question.
I neither own nor claim any rights to this material. Just having some fun with it. Thanks for watching!

[@billjenkins687]

Thank You for posting this. I attended Jack's funeral in 1982. He received a full-honors burial like a fallen officer. Thank You.

[@charlieperkins138]

He DEFINITELY deserved it.

[@tommymitchell2306]

Jack was really old school LAPD! We loved him!

[@1burnman]

What an experience I like of Jack's shows

[@juanmonge7418]

I read that he had an incredible collection of jazz records. What ever became of them?

[@kingboagart899]

Used to see him at restaurants in Sherman Oaks on a regular basis with other actors that I always recognized but could never remember their names. Saw him enough that he'd greet me in passing. That's my sorry brush with fame, oh yeah John Travolta nodded to me once in Palm Springs and Julia Robert's was in line behind me once at a Starbucks. She's not a morning person.

[@maryhlad5277]

Sgt. Friday is a human being like all of us. He was trying to protect himself and the citizens of Los Angeles.

[@muzikdude1188]

If every cop was like Joe Friday this world would be a much safer place. Kudos to a guy who did his job right, even if it really was just a TV show.

[@scoobycarr5558]

Sgt. Friday had a great partner in Officer Gannon and before that Officer Frank Smith. Each partner had equal footing in law enforcement in the LAPD in two different decades.

[@scoobycarr5558]

Each case was actually based on true stories in the annals of crime fighting in the LAPD. ADAM 12 also was based on real life cases in the LAPD as was CHiPs in the California Highway Patrol.

[@briane173]

@@scoobycarr5558Of the three, _CHiPS_ was the hokiest. It started out okay and then Erik Estrada steadily turned it into the _Erik Estrada Show._ Larry Wilcox couldn't wait to leave the production. All about cars flipping over and explosions and Estrada's best profile position. I grew tired of it after about the 6th episode. Webb and all his productions were tightly wrapped and could be difficult with cast and crew, but he put together some good stories that were grounded in fact; I was a kid when Dragnet '66 came out and Friday quickly became one o' my heroes. I enjoyed _Adam 12_ and _Emergency!_ solely because they were Mark VII productions; Webb's influence was everywhere.

[@sarahmariah100]

Ik Frank Smith was a sweetheart. All the partners were great in one way or another EDIT: CHiPs def hilarious but totally awesome too. Just watching them ride around and meet girls or whatever is a hoot

[@xandersnyder7214]

I love Harry Morgan's comment at the end "Nothing every happens to the easy way does it?" Followed by Jack's smirk and shrug

[@muffs55mercury61]

In 1967's "The Shooting Board" he references the first instance by saying his partner and the other suspect were witnesses. And at least twice during the second series he says that he only had to drop the hammer on someone twice. Webb was real particular on details, something other shows didn't always do. Webb's acting in the first one was so realistic as he looks very sick after having killed the man for the rest of the episode.

[@kenrickbautista6141]

Joe Friday is one badass cop (/detective)! Jack Webb is so awesome that he became one of my influences.

[@johnwoa]

Thank you for making and uploading this EXCELLENT video compilation of these two Dragnet episodes, each containing a true story from the Los Angeles Police Department. Great work on your part!

[@porflepopnecker4376]

Thank you for such a kind comment!

[@KeithFroehlich07]

You should have added the end part where they gave Friday a carton of cigarettes.

[@dennymcfastlane8530]

And Gannon looks into the bag, and gives Joe a nod that it was a Good quality brand in the bag. Nice Blonde & a '64 Dodge rag top also.

[@briane173]

When cigarettes weren't no thang. No one thought twice about it back then, it was as routine as buying a gallon of milk. You look at it now and you're like dude what were we thinking back then? BUT....if anybody was entitled to two cartons of cigarettes it was an LAPD cop. Webb smoked like a chimney and drank like a fish, too. He died fairly young by our standards.

[@kc4cvh]

Many people would be surprised to learn that the majority of law enforcement officers pass from raw recruit to 30+ year retiree without ever having to "drop the hammer" on anyone.

[@charlesmartel5907]

34 years “on the job” ( 1974-2008 Houston/Harris County,Texas 👮‍♂️🇨🇱 ) and the only time I ever had to fire my weapon was on the pistol range during our department’s semi-annual re-qualifications ( although, during my law enforcement career I made numerous arrests at gunpoint ) 👮‍♂️🚔💙👍

[@grahambrown1980]

I like how that sounds; “Drop the hammer.” Killer good old show and I used to watch it in my 20’s, when it still was, in fact, old. 🔥❤️‍🔥🌕

[@AdamPaul2222]

That second episode was such a long stressful one because he was innocent all along but with limited proof

[@STP43FAN1]

The best part of The Shooting Board episode is Friday himself in the epilogue detailing the fate of the suspect, the criminal, and the accomplice

[@johnwoa]

The 1967 episode was as true-to-life as it got when it came to situations encountered in police work.

[@RobynHarris]

johnwoa Police work in 1967? Possibly. Police work in 2019? Not so much. It wouldn’t really be much of an issue if they found a weapon or a slug. The suspect was a young male with a police record. The case would be a Detective Sergeant’s word against the suspect’s word. The suspect’s word is not very loud at this point. No witnesses, means there would be a brief cursory investigation, while the shooter gets a paid leave, followed by a justified shooting finding.

[@porflepopnecker4376]

Likely the suspect would be on drugs, wielding a weapon and resisting arrest, and the shooting would be justifiable but people would riot, loot, burn down buildings, and ambush cops anyway.

[@johnwoa]

@@RobynHarris I am talking about police work in 1967, not the way it necessarily is now or in 2019. You present a scenario in your 'Reply', but this Dragnet episode, which I watched the night it was first shown back in 1967, is a true story from the files of the Los Angeles Police Department.

[@grantkitchen7928]

​@@porflepopnecker4376well this suspect was white so chances are if it happened today we'd never hear about it and nobody would care. If the suspect had been black and this happened today then yeah everything you said would happen rioting, looting, destruction, etc. 😢

[@briane173]

@@johnwoa This episode was the opener for the '67 season, and boy did it grab my attention! Up to that point it was just Friday & Gannon doing what they do -- normal detective work; threw a "damn" or "hell" into the dialogue occasionally, which was quite verboten in the 60s but they let Jack Webb get away with it because these were true stories. It added to the grit and tension of each episode, which for me at age 11 was what kept me riveted and I couldn't wait for the new episode the following week. But I digress. The fact that he had to shoot and killed a suspect was "serious" at that point in the series; and the acting when the girlfriend saw Webb and dimed him out screaming hysterically, that might've been some of the best acting in the whole series run. It stuck in my memory all these decades later; so when I saw this episode again on YT I _had_ to watch. Still blown away by the tenor of the entire episode and the acting was first rate.

[@roccidisopa661]

“You think you’re pretty high and far out don’t ya? Well let me tell you something, for every kid I’ve seen blowing grass or smoking reefer, I saw another one face down in the gutter with a dirty needle in his arm!”

[@JxT1957]

this is one of the best dragnet episodes (1967)

[@timmitzlaff8960]

I’ve watched this episode many many times. I just noticed that if Friday would have drawn his weapon before he voiced commands to the perpetrator he would have gotten off a shot right away. Instead Friday got shot at first then had a trash can thrown at him and the guy almost escaped.

[@davidmcintosh8978]

The man did escape showed him speeding away in a car with the lights off!

[@studinthemaking]

thanks for the putting the name of the episode.

[@kingboagart899]

And I've been uncomfortable in a laundromat ever since...

[@dougmontgomery1868]

I have a cousin who was apparently more noted by her fellow police officers for being a shapely young woman than as a capable cop, which she certainly was. After she retired from the force, with the rank of lieutenant, she told me she never once fired her gun except on the firing range.

[@thenecessaryevil2634]

Despite what protest groups would have people believe in fact 95% of Police officers have never fired their service weapons outside a range or training setting. 62% have never drawn their pistol. 48% have never used force at all. In today's climate Joe would be accused of 'murdering an innocent victim' because his shots hit him in the back. That the suspect was armed, fired at them and turned back to fire again wouldn't matter at all.

[@grigorirasputin5020]

@@thenecessaryevil2634 As a retired cop I will say you are probably not far off regarding cops who have fired their weapon in the line of duty. As for those who have never drawn their gun, 62% is high in this day and time. Today, people are more stupid and more violent than they were 40-50 years ago, necessitating probably close to 100% having drawn their weapon on someone, maybe a lot of someones. Ditto using force. Unless they were on a desk job their entire career, I would say nearly 100% of cops have used physical force, probably multiple times.

[@thenecessaryevil2634]

@@grigorirasputin5020 To be fair the numbers came from a 2016 DoJ study and included a lot of law enforcement groups that are not usually considered 'police' by the average person. Park rangers, coast guard, ect. PS Park Rangers have shot more people per year than the NYPD and LAPD combined. It's just a lot harder to make poachers and moonshiners look like 'innocent victims'

[@billcary30]

i liked this episode for several reasons. didn't realize they were keeping show continuity with the original series (or radio for that matter) but well done. showed joe was human. he comes across as tough but caring, but rarely got a chance (or wanted the chance) to show his human side. his emotions. this episode with the laundromat gave him that chance. also loved that speech that the captain or boss or what ever gave ending in something like noone ever wants to see this turned into a hunting license. he was right then and right now nearly 60 years later. i think this episode was better having joe as the shooter than gannon or even having them investigate someone elses shooting. gave that we know this guy and how serious he takes his job feel. not that harry morgan couldn't have pulled it off as well, or event he two investigating it who were fine actors also but i think jack webb did the best job of what the 4 could have. of course they'd of written it maybe a bit different except ending for the toher three and maybe would have been just as good. who knows. that's one thing people forget when you think about switching lines in a scene, or actors, or you hear actor b was up for the role and for what ever reason couldn't or didn't take it. and you look back and are like seriously? him (her)? no disrespect to the actor but you just don't see it. not that he couldn't it's just outside of what they nromally do. which is also probably why they didn't or weren't cast. producers didn't see it either. but then if you rewrite the scenes a bit to that actors strengths he might have pulled it off just as well. anyways a big fan of jack, kinda sad they didn't get a 3rd version before he ided. i understand he was working on one, either him finally as a captain or something and maybe the guy who played reed as the yoiunger detetice. could have been good. update stories to the 80's get good actors some of his recurring guys sitll available still would have been great. oh well.

[@samt9912]

In the original radio show from the 50's Friday shot plenty of suspects. definitely more than 2 that I can recall off the top of my head

[@thomascollins4325]

They sure don't make TV shows like that anymore. RIP Jack and Harry. 👍👍👍👍🇱🇷🇱🇷🇱🇷🇱🇷

[@sandrabonner8208]

Decades later, Joe's nephew and namesake, along with his partner, would save Los Angeles. In addition, he got the girl, the virgin Connie...

[@Robin-Lynn]

"Nothin ever happens the easy way to you, does it?" It's not supposed to. There's a lot of weight behind that badge. Sometimes hard things have to happen in order for the officer to prove he's still strong enough to carry it.

[@daveconleyportfolio5192]

Wow. Joe, is that you?

[@riffs66]

“In all my years on the job I’ve only had to drop the hammer on a man twice.”

[@lancomedic]

The guy with the red/black striped tie played a high school principal on Barney Miller.

[@blukmage19typeR]

Eh, Joe Friday did a more of these on radio.

[@rullmourn1142]

These quarters are more than enough for me to risk my life for.

[@independent2368]

It wasn't the money, the guy shot at an officer and is what did it

[@PlasmaCoolantLeak]

The detective William Boyett (RIP) plays, Pierce Brooks, was the lead investigator of "The Onion Field" kidnappings of LAPD Officers Karl Hettinger (RIP) and Ian Campbell (RIP), and Campbell's subsequent murder.

[@scoobycarr5558]

You're ordered to stop by a police officer, you STOP! No ifs ands or buts. You take a big risk if you resist a police officer, sometimes at the point of your own death.

[@jimziemer474]

Scooby Carr So what are you trying to say? Take out a gun and shoot at the police officer?

[@scoobycarr5558]

@@jimziemer474 No - most likely getting hit by a Taser

[@dougmontgomery1868]

I am a member of local Toastmasters (learning how to speak in public). Another member is a cop in my city. He came to my home to set up my computer with a webcam. While he was working I saw his wicked-looking automatic pistol. He means business.

[@Muertes-tf2oj]

I love Dragnet.

[@forrestkellogg8317]

Nobody could take down Friday and only Link could defeat Gannon.

[@petereirich6502]

In the episode "The Shooting Board" he did not have to shoot to kill. He returned fire to someone trying to get money out of a coin charge machine. What I find remarkable is that his character never expresses any regret about the killing or any concern for the person he killed.

[@ApartmentKing66]

I don't think he MEANT to shoot to kill. But the guy shot at him first...and doubtless to kill. The instant that guy made the decision to fire at Friday, he put the outcome of the situation in Friday's hands. He had it coming...whether you want to admit it or not. Save us all the "pool of tears" crap that you think Friday should've drowned himself in.

[@simonblack4203]

Joe Friday, best TV cop ever. No#2 would be Mathews, Highway Patrol. Someone should make a top ten of TV cops. Friday is no1.

[@willcravens3995]

My grandfather was a police officer he told me a story about one of the guys he worked with the guy was crooked and one night my grandfather got a call to the man's house my grandfather t shot and killed him he found out later about all the bad stuff the man did and and it was more than saling drugs he had herd rumors for a while that the man was crooked he didn't pay attention to much attention to it at the time but afterwards every thing he had hered was true my grandfather was acquitted and was able to go on to be a good policemen until he retired in 1997 he died in 2018 Friday reminds me of him

[@michaelloparco2173]

1:51 You’re turning violet...Violet!

[@nicholasmarino1733]

Hi, why should he feel bad??? Would Friday rathe he would be shot?????

[@TheNeverposts]

Jesus... how much change was in that thing?

[@bigdrew565]

Enough. It happens in laundromats in my town occasionally. Junkies get the money wherever they can.

[@TheNeverposts]

@@bigdrew565 Junkies pull out firearms in your town to secure laundromat change?

[@bigdrew565]

@@TheNeverposts nope. At least not recently. We had one pull a knife on a store clerk. Snorted a bunch of horse before he did the job. Kicked in just in time for the get away and he passed out. Cops Caught him in the parking lot. You never know what the fuck an addict is going to do to score, though.

[@muffs55mercury61]

Back then maybe about $20. Now days they make change for $5s 10s & 20s so there are probably several hundred dollars in a change machine today. At car washes some people spend a lot to get it clean. Now days I'm guessing debit cards will replace cash and coins (they already are in vending machines)

[@TheNeverposts]

@@bigdrew565 I feel like you're just rambling at me

[@davidjamessheets]

Both times he shot him in the back.

[@sarahmariah100]

Oh snap! Bill gave him the treatment

[@JoePedo]

What would happen to you if you locked eyes with Medusa?

[@tryithere]

Only killed twice and shot them both in the back. One guy he let shoot 3 times with a 3 second gap between first and second shots

[@porflepopnecker4376]

If a dangerous armed suspect is escaping, you shoot him wherever it takes to stop him!

[@marcscraigslist_account8297]

In those days los angelenos called being shot in the back with a police issue .38, an "LAPD business card"

[@AmericasChoice]

@@marcscraigslist_account8297 Happened to the brother of a HS friend of mine. 1973. He had $15 he copped from a soda machine. St. Louis County Sheriff. Shot in the back.

[@mikeneidlinger8857]

Joe Friday was a good officer, he was just deranged about marijuana.

[@Texasjim2007]

Like with alcohol during Prohibition marijuana was made illegal because it's a public health hazard contributing to a lot of other things like car accidents, losing jobs, and family conflicts among that portion of the population who don't use it responsibly along with providing a massive tax free income to gangs of criminals like the Mafia and the Drug Cartels willing to murder people to buy and sell it illegally. I personally knew somebody who was arrested for murdering an old lady robbing her house for drug money, I would say that's a lot more deranged than anything Friday ever did enforcing marijuana laws.

[@gregorydahl]

I remember the shelf lifted eoisode .He had the same guy Dragnet Joe video kzbin.info/www/bejne/naOWqJhshZyIp5Y

[@steveclifford1239]

Thank god for cigarettes

[@alexciocca4451]

Listen to Webb’s voice change over the years as his vocal cords get coated with cigarette tar it’s hard to listen to i here the same body pollution in the voice of Jonny Carson and John Wayne so to all you smokers listen hard as it kills you

[@StukInBuf]

@ALEX CIOCCA(open): Jack might not have died of throat or lung cancer, but smoking likewise ruins the heart and circulatory system; a heart attack did him in.

[@jimbailey5681]

Don't act like such a pantywaist.

[@pickleman40]

He sounds cool lol

[@Mr_Tecumseh]

In the pilot movie Dragnet 1966 his voice was still clearer. When Dragnet 1967 aired his voice was deeper and he looked like he aged 5 years. By the end of the series in 1970 he looked 20 years older in 6. He had 12 years left in 1970.