Best Episodes
COPS is one of the first (and only) true and UNSCRIPTED reality shows, it follows the activities of police officers by embedding camera crews with police units.The show’s formula follows the Cinéma vérité convention, with no narration or scripted dialog, depending entirely on the commentary of the officers and on the actions of the people with whom they come into contact.COPS has followed officers in 140 different cities in the United States and also has been shot in Hong Kong, London, and the former Soviet Union. Each episode is approximately 22 minutes in length and typically consists of three segments, with each segment being one or two self-contained police incidents.
Written by Sophie and last updated on feb 10, 2023.
PS: The following content contains spoilers!
PPS: I will admit that parts of this page was written with the help of AI - it makes my work so much easier to not start from a blank page!
(Houston, TX - 12:32 AM Car Pursuit) Police officers face life-threatening situations; dangerous car chases; officers detonate grenades during a drug raid. #1436. 9/14/02
The episode was rated 6.50 from 10 votes.
(Atlanta, GA - 5:05 AM Traffic Stop) Zone 1 - Officer Frank Huff says police are like regular people just doing their jobs. He then pursues a white Dodge Durango seen in a known drug area. Officer Huff pursues a driver who eventually loses control of his vehicle and slams into a wall. In Chattanooga, Tennessee, Officer Willoughby questions a woman with a large plug of hair missing from the back of her head, which she she claims was the result of being assaulted by a man she met at an AA meeting. In Des Moines, Iowa, Officer Curtis loses sight of a fleeing suspect, and with the help of a witness, discovers the man relieving himself in a public port-a-potty. #1417. 11/24/01
The episode was rated 6.69 from 13 votes.
(Fort Worth, TX - 11:02 PM Roll Call) East Division - Sgt. Phillip South talks about a string of home invasion where 4-5 black males hit Vietnamese residences between 10p - 1am, no description of people or vehicles. There MO is to kick in the front door, 4 go in and 1 looks out. They take TVs, VCRs and cash. In Fort Worth, Texas, Officer Jacoby helps apprehend the driver of a stolen vehicle and, upon searching the suspect, recovers several distinct tools associated with professional car thieves. In Des Moines, IA, Officer Cornwell stops a suspect for a routine traffic violation and finds a biohazard container filled with syringes and methampehtamine inside his van. In Chattanooga, TN, the Street Crimes Unit arrests several suspected drug dealers during a buy-bust operation. #1423. 2/9/02
The episode was rated 6.80 from 10 votes.
(Des Moines, IA - 6:35 PM Violent Person Call) 3rd Watch - Officer Lori Wilson has been there four years and meets a lot of nice people along with the bad. She gets a lot of good feedback too. A naked bloody black man on PCP goes crazy in a park. He tries to punch through a wooden fence and gets maced. A dozen cops jump him and a female cop gets covered in blood and has to be cleansed in the ambulance. Chattanooga, TN (2:12 AM Suspicious Person Call) Fox Station - Officer Brian Russell says he never discussed with his wife about being a cop. He then goes a gas station where a U Haul is parked and they open it to find a dirty old hippie couple sleeping naked inside with their dog. The guy has no ID because it got burned in a fire, but later says he had permission to be there. They just got back from Arkansas and had nowhere to stay. Atlanta, GA (5:30 AM Traffic Stop) Zone 1 - Officer Frank Huff stops a car for having no license plate lights. He stops and when the cop gets out he drives off across town. He pulls off into a neighborhood and runs into the woods and is caught. He crashed into three cars along the way and had no license. #1411. 11/10/01
The episode was rated 6.80 from 10 votes.
Stories include a suspicious odor comimg from a car window, a domestic dispute and an undercover sting.
The episode was rated 6.85 from 13 votes.
From Palm Beach, Florida. Police chase a suspicious man who was loitering in a parking lot and get called to a domestic dispute at a mobile-home park.
The episode was rated 6.85 from 20 votes.
Police take part in what turns out to be a dangerous pursuit, officers get called to a domestic dispute and police spot a suspicious vehicle.
The episode was rated 6.87 from 15 votes.
A naked man is covered in blood, police find a nude couple in a truck bed and officers are involved in a high-speed chase.
The episode was rated 6.91 from 11 votes.
(Atlanta, GA - 4:07 PM Car Pursuit) Zone 3 - Officer Michel Centola responds to an unmarked car that needs his marked car in a pursuit and the suspect almost hit him. An unmarked unit chases a dangerous driver; a biting woman says she is a vampire; a woman removes her clothing and jumps into a public fountain; an officer questions a transvestite. Las Vegas, NV from #340/Clark County/Sacramento, CA/Forth Worth, TX/Kodiak, AK/San Bernardino, CA. Reruns as Too Hot for Television on other channels or Outrageous Calls. #1435. 4/27/02
The episode was rated 7.00 from 10 votes.
(Chattanooga, TN - 6:40 PM Stolen Vehicle) Fox Station - Officer Christopher Smith says his uncle was a police chief which inspired him. His partner Officer David Holloway wanted to be a cop since he was age five. He wants to be the best cop he can be, help people and catch bad guys. They observe as the driver of a stolen vehicle crashes into the side of a house. In Fort Worth, Texas, Officer Eddleman happens upon a fire at a local motel, a blaze later determined to be the work of an arsonist. In Des Moines, Iowa, Officer Cornwell gives chase when a speeding motorcyclist ditches his vehicle and flees on foot. #1416. 11/17/01
The episode was rated 7.00 from 10 votes.
(Chattanooga, TN - 2:01 AM Man with a Gun) Fox Station - Officer Jonathan Chambers says whatever happens at work stays at work. He talks to his wife briefly and gives her the highlights because she's interested in what happens and leaves it at that, otherwise it'll drive him crazy. He responds to a man-with-a-gun call, and later apprehends a suspect who attempted to sell stolen property. In Des Moines, IA, Officers Morgan and Helle question two brothers who were involved in a fistfight. In Atlanta, GA, Officer Cotter interviews a woman who claims that her boyfriend allegedly punched her in the mouth while she was walking down the street. #1414. 9/29/01
The episode was rated 7.00 from 12 votes.
(Des Moines, IA - 9:22 PM Fight Call)
The episode was rated 7.13 from 15 votes.
(Des Moines, IA - 8:18 PM Assistance Call) 3rd Watch - Officer Joe Morgan has been there eleven years and likes the city because it is small, but not too small, there is still lots to do. An off duty cop is in a foot pursuit. Pursuit; domestic disturbance; car chase. Chattanooga TN/Atlanta, GA #1412. 9/15/01
The episode was rated 7.40 from 20 votes.
In Palm Beach, Florida, a man threatens to kill people at an car rental company when they refuse to rent him a car and a driver throws something out a vehicle window that draws suspicion.
The episode was rated 7.58 from 24 votes.
