U.S. Marshals: The Greatest Cases of America's Most Effective Law Enforcement Agency

by Mike Earp, David Fisher

Overview

Blending history and memoir, retired U.S. Marshal Mike Earp—a descendant of the legendary lawman Wyatt Earp—offers an exclusive and fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the most storied law enforcement agency in America, illuminating its vital role in the nation’s development for more than two hundred years.

Mike Earp spent his career with the U.S. Marshals Service, reaching the number three position in the organization’s hierarchy before he retired. In this fascinating, eye-opening book, written with the service’s full cooperation, he shares his experiences and takes us on a fascinating tour of this extraordinary organization—the oldest, the most effective, and the most dangerous branch of American law enforcement, and the least known.

Unlike their counterparts in the police and the FBI, U.S. Marshals aren’t responsible for investigating or prosecuting crimes. They pursue and arrest the most dangerous criminal offenders on U.S. soil, an extraordinarily hazardous job often involving gun battles and physical altercations. Earp takes us back to the service’s early days, explaining its creation and its role in the border wars that helped make continental expansion possible. He brings to life the gunslingers and gunfights that have made the Marshals legend, and explores the service’s role today integrating federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in the hunt for the most notorious criminals—terrorists, drug lords, gun runners.

Setting his own experiences within the long history of the U.S. Marshals service, Earp offers a moving and illuminating tribute to the brave marshals who have dedicated their lives to keeping the nation safe.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062227256
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	07/01/2015
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	513,641
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Mike Earp retired as the third-highest-ranking official in the U.S. Marshals Service in January 2012, after twenty-nine years of service. As the associate director for operations, he supervised all operational divisions and programs of the agency. He lives in Alexandria, Virginia.

David Fisher is the author or coauthor of dozens of books, including 22 New York Times bestsellers. He has worked with George Burns, Johnnie Cochran, and Terry Bradshaw, among others. He lives in New York City.

Table of Contents

Foreword Chief Inspector Lenny DePaul xi

Introduction 1

1 The New Star of Law Enforcement 16

2 "Take No Guff, Give No Slack, Hook 'Em, Book 'Em, and Don't Look Back." 59

3 On the Right Side of the Tracks: Finding Fugitives 90

4 Details They'll Tell 133

5 May the Task Force Be Watching You 175

6 Arresting Developments 219

7 The Deadly Tradition 266

8 The Running Game 307

Acknowledgments 345

Index 349

Editorial Reviews

A swift-moving history of and tribute to officers who are ‘out there at all hours of the day and night, kicking down doors, stopping vehicles, and arresting heinous fugitives.’” — Kirkus Reviews

“U.S. Marshals is a fast-paced, interesting and well-told story about modern-day manhunters.” — Washington Times

From the Publisher

U.S. Marshals is a fast-paced, interesting and well-told story about modern-day manhunters.

Washington Times

2014-04-17
The story behind the country's oldest law enforcement agency, the U.S. Marshals service, as told by its former associate director for operations Earp, with veteran co-author Fisher (co-author, with Tom Coughlin: Earn the Right to Win, 2013, etc.).In this real-life version of the TV series America's Most Wanted, Earp explores the service known around the world for heroes like Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson and significant events like the Shootout at the O.K. Corral and its development over the years since its formation in 1789. Established during the administration of George Washington as the police force of the federal court system, the service has a unique function in American law enforcement, and this function has been transformed—especially since the Reagan administration—as tough-on-crime policies have increased demands on law enforcement agencies. The marshals' mandate extends across the whole republic. They are empowered to deputize agencies of federal and local government—e.g., the U.S. Forest Service, parole officers and others—to aid their operations. Anyone who has run out on a warrant for arrest, skipped court appointments, broken parole or work-release agreements, broken out of jail or comes under one of their prioritized categories of criminal can find themselves the target of pursuit. Earp recounts how such infamous figures as Panama's Gen. Manuel Noriega and Puerto Rican terrorist William Morales were brought to justice. The author describes their investigative methods, especially their mastery of modern technology to identify, locate and track down their targets. Each aspect of the narrative is introduced through its own kind of action story and brings to life the dangers and rewards of a deputy's life. Earp's tales are educational, and he highlights the ingenuity and training required to become a U.S. Marshal.A swift-moving history of and tribute to officers who are "out there at all hours of the day and night, kicking down doors, stopping vehicles, and arresting heinous fugitives."

Kirkus Reviews