An Ex-Lawman On A Lonely Mission: Bringing The Police To Justice

At the heart of Peace Officer, a new documentary out this month, stands a man named William "Dub" Lawrence. A former sheriff, Lawrence comes off as a somber figure — a man capable of calmly reconstructing the death of his suicidal son-in-law, who was shot in a standoff with a SWAT team in 2008.

But when you meet Lawrence, it's impossible not to note just how much the man grins — as in, big, toothy, Jimmy Carter-level grins.

"That's my best weapon," he says. "If I smile, they will usually not punch me in the face."

Lawrence has another thing in common with Jimmy Carter: He also served just one term. From 1975-79, Lawrence was sheriff of Davis County, just north of Salt Lake City in Utah. His election in 1974 was a surprise — he was a political neophyte — and he wasn't able to repeat the victory in 1978. After losing his re-election bid, he moved on to other kinds of work — installing dishes for satellite TV, teaching school, repairing water pumps. He hasn't worn a badge in decades.

And yet, you get the sense he never really left police work behind.

For instance: "I have a bone in my truck that may be a human bone," he says. That's because, in his spare time, he searches a nearby canyon for victims of Ted Bundy, the serial killer who came through Davis County when Lawrence was sheriff. Some of Bundy's presumed victims were never found.

"I've never given up! That happened on my watch," Lawrence says.

More