Cops and Writers Podcast

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Nobody likes a bully! One of the reasons myself and many others became cops was to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves. That’s what cops should do! But, what happens when your own sheriff’s department turns on you and becomes the bully? What do you do when your bosses and teammates turn on you? Where do you turn?

My returning guest today, former Sheriff’s Deputy Bridget Truxillo, was a sheriff’s deputy in Florida for years. She worked undercover in the narcotics unit and was also the department’s first and only female SWAT operator. Unfortunately, she was the victim of workplace harassment, bullying, and discrimination. She just ‘took it’ until her own department drove her to resign. 

Bridget Truxillo went on to the next chapter of her life and became an attorney. That firsthand experience is why she founded Lady Law Shield, a firm built specifically to give law enforcement officers and first responders legal guidance on the employment issues they run into at work — things like workplace disputes, retaliation, and the fallout that can follow difficult decisions made on the job. Bridget works at the point where the job and the law collide, helping officers protect their careers while making sense of a system most attorneys don't understand from the inside. 

This conversation takes lots of unexpected twists and turns that I think you will find useful if you are a cop or if you want an insider look into the confusing and sometimes cruel world of law enforcement. It was a treat talking to Bridget again and hearing her amazing story of resilience and how she is of service to the law enforcement community.

In today’s episode, we discuss:

·      Bridget’s beginnings in law enforcement.

·      What her rookie year looked like. 

·      Being brought into undercover work after only having one year on the job.

·      How and why she tried out and earned a spot on the SWAT team.

·      How was she treated being the only female on the SWAT team? 

·      Being the victim of workplace harassment and discrimination and how she dealt with it.

·      What led to her decision to resign from law enforcement? 

·      How can we as cops transition from being a cop to civilian life seamlessly? Is it possible?

·      What she sees as the biggest mistakes cops make transitioning into civilian life.

·      Her work as an attorney, founding Lady Law Shield, helping first responders who are victims of workplace harassment and discrimination.

All of this and more on today’s episode of the Cops and Writers podcast.

Visit Bridget at her law firm, Lady Law Shield.

Check out Bridget at the following conferences!

Rise: Women in Policing | San Diego | September 2026 Tuesday, September 8, 2026 to Friday, September 11, 2026. I am speaking Thursday, Sept. 10,  10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m., title: Navigating Workplace Challenges Without Derailing Your Career.

2026 6th Annual National Law Enforcement Survival Summit, September 28-30, Las Vegas, NV. I am speaking September 30, title: Leadership Under Scrutiny: Reducing Liability and Workplace Breakdown

Check out our conversation from two years ago.

Head on over to my website!

What's the craziest thing you saw when you were a cop?

My first week on the job, a guy running at me with a butcher knife. He'd just killed his brother over the last hot dog.

That's chapter 1. There are 33 more.

Police Stories: The Rookie Years just launched - available on Amazon. 

Search 'Police Stories Patrick O'Donnell' or click th

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My guest on the show today, Mary Howe, is an Air Force veteran and daughter of a military legacy family.  Mary’s mom is a retired Army Major; her father, Master Sgt. Paul Howe was in Delta and was in the Battle of Mogadishu, which later became the source of the movie Blackhawk Down. Her grandfather was Lt. Col. Charles Beckwith, the founder of Delta Force. To say that her family has a history of service at the highest levels would be an understatement.

A bit about Mary. Mary Howe is a former Air Force Special Operations AC-130U aerial gunner turned Family Nurse Practitioner, now working in veteran disability medicine. Her work sits at the intersection of service, identity, and personal responsibility—shaped by a life spent in high-performance environments and a refusal to let performance define her worth.

She is the writer behind Unfinished Business, a body of work that documents growth in real time, without the polish or the illusion of having it all figured out. Her perspective challenges the habit of outsourcing direction, calling people back to internal leadership, self-trust, and the work that happens long before anything looks successful from the outside.

Her background spans military service, medicine, and a lineage rooted in Special Operations, but her focus now is simple: helping people think better, take ownership, and build something internally that doesn’t collapse when circumstances change.

It was an honor and joy chatting with Mary. Please enjoy my conversation with someone who is truly inspirational.

In today’s episode, we discuss:

·      Her mom, Connie, was a Major in the Army. Her dad, Master Sgt. Paul Howe was Delta and was in the Battle of Mogadishu, and Grandpa was Lt. Col. Charles Beckwith, the founder of Delta Force.

·      The differences in Delta, SF, Ranger Regiment, Ranger Tab, SEALS, PJ’s: Delta is now called Combat Applications Group (CAG).

·      A group of PJs was on the coast of Florida that saved 11 people who had to ditch their plane in the ocean. They had about 5 minutes of fuel before they had to go back to base.

·      Growing up in a military legacy family, what was the talk like around the dinner table?

·      Her rebellious stage growing up. What did that look like and how did her parents deal with that? 

·      Growing up in a strict home. Were her parents bouncing quarters off her bed?

·      Not realizing the gravity of her father’s service until she read the book Blackhawk Down. 

·      Her father’s thoughts regarding the book and movie Blackhawk Down after he lived it.

·      SERE training.

·      Being a gunner on an AC-130U and her being deployed in four separate combat missions.

·      Post-military life. Becoming a Nurse Practitioner and continuing to be of service.

All of this and more on today’s episode of the Cops and Writers podcast.

Check out Mary's website!

Head on over to my website!

What's the craziest thing you saw when you were a cop?

My first week on the job, a guy running at me with a butcher knife. He'd just killed his brother over the last hot dog.

That's chapter 1. There are 33 more.

Police Stories: The Rookie Years just launched - available on Amazon. 

Search 'Police Stories Patrick O'Donnell' or click th

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Welcome back for part two of my conversation with Author and Detective Superintendent Bob Lessemun as we travel across the pond to England and to Turks and Caicos.

A little about my guest. Robert C. ‘Bob’ Lessemun, a man who left school at sixteen and walked straight into a police career that would span more than half a century. From uniform sergeant and ultimately Detective Superintendent. He built a reputation for tackling some of Britain’s toughest cases-murders, international fraud, major drug operations-while pioneering interview and interrogation training that would influence detectives across the UK. This is the story of how a grammar-school boy from England became one of the country’s most experienced investigators leading him to Turks and Caicos investigating international drug and money laundering cases.  

It was a treat chatting with Bob! I hope you enjoy part two of my interview with Bob as much as I did. 

 In today’s episode we discuss:

·      Some cases that has stuck with Bob thorough the years.

·      His thoughts on the police in Brittan today.

·      How he wound up working in Turks and Caicos Islands? 

·      Money laundering, human trafficking, and burial at sea.

·      His advice for police officers in the USA and or other parts of the world. 

·      His advice for being an affective police leader. 

·      What he misses the most or least about being in law enforcement. 

·      The Plod books and his writing career.

·      Why he wrote The Young Plod: Tales from the Black Country, Plod Goes Private: Tales of a Private Investigator, and Plod Policing Paradise: Tales from the Caribbean? 

All of this and more on today’s episode of the Cops and Writers podcast.

Visit Bob's Amazon Author Page. 

Head on over to my website!

What's the craziest thing you saw when you were a cop?

My first week on the job, a guy running at me with a butcher knife. He'd just killed his brother over the last hot dog.

That's chapter 1. There are 33 more.

Police Stories: The Rookie Years just launched - available on Amazon. 

Search 'Police Stories Patrick O'Donnell' or click th

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Today’s show takes us across the pond to England and the Caribbean to Turks and Caicos with a man with over half a century of experience in law enforcement, retired Detective Superintendent Bob Lessemun

A little about my guest. Robert C. ‘Bob’ Lessemun, a man who left school at sixteen and walked straight into a police career that would span more than half a century. From uniform sergeant to detective sergeant on the Regional Crime Squad, then inspector, chief inspector, and ultimately Detective Superintendent. He built a reputation for tackling some of Britain’s toughest cases-murders, international fraud, major drug operations-while pioneering interview and interrogation training that would influence detectives across the UK. This is the story of how a grammar-school boy from England became one of the country’s most experienced investigators, leading him to Turks and Caicos to investigate international drug and money-laundering cases.  

I loved chatting with Bob, and I think you will love this episode. Part Two will go live next Sunday, where we'll dive into more of his international experiences and author journey. Please enjoy my chat with Bob Lessemun!

 In today’s episode, we discuss:

·      Being chased by the police as a young lad to becoming a police officer.

·      His grandfather being a constable and the influence that had on him as a young man.

·      The realities of being a constable in 1968 England.

·      The lack of equipment and training; it took two years for him to get a set of handcuffs. 

·      Being in a fight of his life on Christmas and the unlikely backup that helped. 

·      Being outnumbered all the time and learning the gift of gab. 

·      Writing the interrogation / interview manual for the English police.

·      What is Scotland Yard and his training there?

·      Hostage negotiating and other specialties he possesses? 

·      Negotiating with an armed man holding a police sergeant hostage.

All of this and more on today’s episode of the Cops and Writers podcast.

Visit Bob's Amazon Author Page. 

Head on over to my website!

What's the craziest thing you saw when you were a cop?

My first week on the job, a guy running at me with a butcher knife. He'd just killed his brother over the last hot dog.

That's chapter 1. There are 33 more.

Police Stories: The Rookie Years just launched - available on Amazon. 

Search 'Police Stories Patrick O'Donnell' or click th

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Welcome back, everyone, for the conclusion of my interview with former Savannah Police Homicide Detective Kevin Grogan as we explore one of my favorite places in the world, Savannah, Georgia. Savanah is home to the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), some of the best food ever, history, haunted houses and ghost tours, and riverboats. It also has a seedy underbelly, with Kevin as our guide; that’s what we’re going to talk about today.

Kevin Grogan is an Army Combat Veteran and former Savanah Police Department Homicide Detective. He has worked a variety of assignments within the Savanah Police Department, including vice and multi-agency task forces. 

Kevin is also a screenwriter, producer, and author of the Savannah True Crime Trilogy, with his latest book, No Greater Honor, No Bigger Failure.  

Please enjoy the conclusion of my discussion with someone who has felt the weight of the badge and the ultimate cost it can have on someone. 

 In today’s episode, we discuss:

·      Being on call in the homicide unit.

·      Being laser-focused during a homicide investigation.

·      The toll of being a homicide detective on your personal life.

·      Was there one case that stuck with him forever? 

·      The ugly ending to his police career in Savannah. 

·      Kevin’s honesty and ownership of his alcohol abuse. 

·      His advice for someone considering a career in LE?

·      Why he became a writer.

·      The Savannah True Crime trilogy.

·      His latest book, No Greater Honor: No Bigger Failure (Savannah True Crime Trilogy).

 All of this and more on today’s episode of the Cops and Writers podcast.

Check out Kevin's Amazon Author Page! 

Head on over to my website! 

What's the craziest thing you saw when you were a cop?

My first week on the job, a guy running at me with a butcher knife. He'd just killed his brother over the last hot dog.

That's chapter 1. There are 33 more.

Police Stories: The Rookie Years just launched - available on Amazon. 

Search 'Police Stories Patrick O'Donnell' or click th

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Welcome everyone to a bonus episode of the Cops and Writers podcast: author spotlight with bestselling author Amy Pease. Her first bestselling book, Northwoods that is set in northern Wisconsin, is an Amazon Editors' best pick in the mystery, thriller, and suspense categories. Her newest book, Wildwood, is burning up the charts. 

Amy is an alumnus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Writer’s Studio. Amy is a nurse practitioner, where she is a nationally recognized H.I.V. specialist. 

Please enjoy this wide-ranging conversation with one of my favorite authors. 

In today’s episode, we discuss:

·      Her award-winning and bestselling book, Northwoods.

·      When did she get bitten by the writing bug?

·      Her being a nurse practitioner, where she is a nationally recognized HIV specialist. How much of her ‘day job’ influences her writing? Or does it?

·      How does she balance or juggle being an NP, mom, wife, and author? What is her secret?

·      What was her path to her bestselling book, Northwoods?

·      How daunting was it for her to write the second book, Wildwood? Did she feel pressure to deliver the same hit?

·      What’s next?

All of this and more on today’s episode of the Cops and Writers podcast.

Go check out Amy's website!

Head on over to my website to learn more about me and my books!

What's the craziest thing you saw when you were a cop?

My first week on the job, a guy running at me with a butcher knife. He'd just killed his brother over the last hot dog.

That's chapter 1. There are 33 more.

Police Stories: The Rookie Years just launched - available on Amazon. 

Search 'Police Stories Patrick O'Donnell' or click th

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Today’s show takes us to one of my favorite places in the world, Savannah, Georgia. Savanah is home to the Savanah College of Art and Design (SCAD), some of the best food ever, history, haunted houses and ghost tours, and riverboats. It also has a seedy underbelly; that’s what we’re going to talk about today with former Savanah Police Department homicide Detective Kevin Grogan. 

Kevin Grogan is an Army Combat Veteran and former Savanah Police Department Homicide Detective. He has worked a variety of assignments within the Savanah Police Department, including vice and multi-agency task forces. 

Kevin is also a screenwriter, producer, and author of the Savannah True Crime Trilogy, with his latest book, No Greater Honor, No Bigger Failure.  

Please enjoy part one of this discussion with someone who has felt the weight of the badge and the ultimate cost it can have on someone. Part Two will go live next Sunday. 

 In today’s episode, we discuss:

·      His first job as a police officer and why he abruptly left the job.

·      Being in the Army and deployed to the Middle East.

·      His path to the Savanah Police Department.

·      Being a cop in one of the most unique cities in the country. 

·      Seeing the dark side of Savanah as a homicide detective. 

·      How often did tourists or SCAD students become crime victims? How were these cases treated compared to people who live there, especially the poorest? 

·      The Stairs of Death.

·      How Kevin became a homicide detective.

·      Working on different task forces with the ATF.

·      The illegal drug trade and human trafficking that went through the ports of Savanah.

 All of this and more on today’s episode of the Cops and Writers podcast.

Check out Kevin's Amazon Author Page! 

Head on over to my website! 

What's the craziest thing you saw when you were a cop?

My first week on the job, a guy running at me with a butcher knife. He'd just killed his brother over the last hot dog.

That's chapter 1. There are 33 more.

Police Stories: The Rookie Years just launched - available on Amazon. 

Search 'Police Stories Patrick O'Donnell' or click th

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Today on the show, I have with me former New York City Police Officer, bestselling and award-winning Author, Ghost Writer, Editor, Author Coach, and CEO of Storehouse Media Group, Sherrie Price Clark. 

Sherrie started her career with the NYPD in the early 90s while the city was at war with itself. She spent nearly a decade on the street and hung up her Sam Browne Belt to form a nonprofit, helping domestic violence victims. She moved to Florida and worked with the Northeast Florida Human Trafficking Task Force. 

Sherrie never turned her back on the publishing business, following her passion for helping authors and being of service. She is now the CEO of Storehouse Media Group. 

This was a fun interview talking about the old-school NYPD and the business of being an author. Please enjoy this wide-ranging interview with Sherrie Price Clark.

 In today’s episode, we discuss:

·      Growing up in a small town and winding up being a cop in New York.

·      Her mother teaching her that she needed to make her own luck.

·      From working for Disney to the NYPD.

·      Why the NYPD?

·      What was New York like in 1991 when she joined the NYPD? 

·      Sherrie helping victims of domestic violence through her nonprofit. 

·      Foster programs being the breeding grounds for human trafficking.

·      The Northeast Florida Human Trafficking Task Force. What is it, and what do we need to do to help combat human trafficking? 

·      Writing, how and when did she get involved in the publishing business?

·      What are some of the best practices we as writers can do to sell our books?

·      Storehouse Media Group.

 All of this and more on today’s episode of the Cops and Writers podcast.

Visit Sherrie at her website! 

Head on over to my website! 

What's the craziest thing you saw when you were a cop?

My first week on the job, a guy running at me with a butcher knife. He'd just killed his brother over the last hot dog.

That's chapter 1. There are 33 more.

Police Stories: The Rookie Years just launched - available on Amazon. 

Search 'Police Stories Patrick O'Donnell' or click th

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Welcome back, everyone, for the conclusion of my interview with the FBI agent who transitioned from FBI Special Agent accountant to FBI SWAT sniper and bomb Tech. My guest on today’s show, Barry Black, has been involved in investigating multi-million dollar crimes, from being a SWAT sniper at the Waco standoff, a bomb tech at the Oklahoma bombing, and 9/11. 

Let's get to know Barry. Barry joined the FBI in 1988 and was assigned to the Oklahoma City Division, where he primarily investigated complex financial crimes. Mr. Black served as an FBI SWAT sniper for several years, including a 51-day deployment to the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, in 1993. 

The following year, Mr. Black was certified as a Bomb Technician at the FBI’s Hazardous Devices School. In 1995, he was a first responder to the bombing of Oklahoma City’s Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building and remained a member of the OKBOMB Task Force. As the threat of terrorism grew, Mr. Black was assigned to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, where he worked with international partners in the global war on terror and trained highly specialized military and counterterrorism units in hostile regions around the world. 

Domestically, Mr. Black responded to the 1996 Atlanta Olympic bombing, the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks, the 2005 bombing at the University of Oklahoma, the bombing of a U.S. Air Force recruiting station, and, in a complex undercover operation, helped thwart a 2017 truck bomb attack targeting a major financial center in Oklahoma City. 

After retiring from the FBI, Mr. Black became an adjunct faculty member at the University of Central Oklahoma’s Forensic Science Institute. He has served as a consultant, keynote speaker, and provided commentary for various national and international media outlets and documentaries. In 2026, his book, Hazardous Devices: Memoir of an FBI Bomb Technician, Accountant, and Sniper, was published by McFarland & Company.  

Please enjoy the conclusion of my chat with an FBI agent who has had a law enforcement career that is the stuff of movies and books. 

 In today’s episode, we discuss:

·      FBI personnel being kicked out of a hotel in Waco to make room for a basketball team. 

·      ATF handing over the scene to the FBI.

·      Dealing with the child victims on the scene.

·      The Texas Rangers' role in the aftermath at Waco.

·      Who processed the crime scene?

·      Barry responding as a bomb tech. A few years later, on April 19, 1995, Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nicholes used an improvised explosive device in a U-Haul that detonated in front of the Alfred Murrah Federal Building, killing 168 and injuring 800 people. 

·      Barry’s wife leaving the target building two minutes before the detonation of the bomb.

·      9/11. What was his role as an FBI master bomb tech, and what effect did that have on you?

·      His life after the bureau, as a teacher and author.

·      David Koresh was a cult leader. How do you reason with this guy?

·      His book, Hazardous Devices: Memoir of an FBI Bomb Technician, Accountant and Sniper.

·      His thoughts on the current FBI.

All of this and more on today’s episode of the Cops and Writers podcast.

Please visit Barry's website to learn more about him and his career.

Head on over to my website! 

What's the craziest thing you saw when you were a cop?

My first week on the job, a guy running at me with a butcher knife. He'd just killed his brother over the last hot dog.

That's chapter 1. There are 33 more.

Police Stories: The Rookie Years just launched - available on Amazon. 

Search 'Police Stories Patrick O'Donnell' or click th

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

From accountant to FBI Special Agent, FBI SWAT sniper, and bomb Tech. My guest on today’s show, Barry Black, has been involved in investigating multi-million dollar crimes, from being a SWAT sniper at the Waco standoff, a bomb tech at the Oklahoma bombing, and 9/11. My guest on the show today is FBI Special Agent, ret. Barry Black. Part two airs next Sunday.

Let's get to know Barry. Barry joined the FBI in 1988 and was assigned to the Oklahoma City Division, where he primarily investigated complex financial crimes. Mr. Black served as an FBI SWAT sniper for several years, including a 51-day deployment to the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, in 1993. 

The following year, Mr. Black was certified as a Bomb Technician at the FBI’s Hazardous Devices School. In 1995, he was a first responder to the bombing of Oklahoma City’s Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building and remained a member of the OKBOMB Task Force. As the threat of terrorism grew, Mr. Black was assigned to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, where he worked with international partners in the global war on terror and trained highly specialized military and counterterrorism units in hostile regions around the world. 

Domestically, Mr. Black responded to the 1996 Atlanta Olympic bombing, the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks, the 2005 bombing at the University of Oklahoma, the bombing of a U.S. Air Force recruiting station, and in a complex undercover operation, helped thwart a 2017 truck bomb attack targeting a major financial center in Oklahoma City. 

After retiring from the FBI, Mr. Black became an adjunct faculty member at the University of Central Oklahoma’s Forensic Science Institute. He has served as a consultant, keynote speaker, and provided commentary for various national and international media outlets and documentaries. In 2026, his book, Hazardous Devices: Memoir of an FBI Bomb Technician, Accountant, and Sniper, was published by McFarland & Company.  

Please enjoy this fascinating discussion with an FBI agent who has had a law enforcement career that they make movies and books about. 

 In today’s episode, we discuss:

·      What influenced Barry into becoming an FBI agent? The influence of his little league coach being an FBI agent. 

·      The FBI only wanting accounts and lawyers as members.

·      Being fast-tracked as an FBI agent because he had an accounting degree.

·      Accountant to sniper/bomb tech.

·      Being the youngest member of his academy class.

·      What drew him into SWAT and being a sniper?

·      Waco. February 28–April 19, 1993. At what stage of the standoff did he get called in?

·      David Koresh was a cult leader. How do you reason with this guy?

·      Huge tactical disadvantage with the geography. Using Bradley armored vehicles from Fort Hood as moving cover and concealment.

·      What comes to his mind when he hears this from Wikipedia? “After 51 days, on April 19, 1993, the FBI launched a CS gas (tear gas) attack in an attempt to force the Branch Davidians out of the compound's buildings. Shortly thereafter, the Mount Carmel Center became engulfed in flames. The fire and the reaction to the final attack within the group resulted in the deaths of 76 Branch Davidians, including 20–28 children and Koresh.”

·      How much of the decision-making at Waco was boots on the ground compared to Washington DC calling the shots?

·      Was there a clear chain of command and IC in Waco?

 All of this and more on today’s episode of the Cops and Writers podcast.

Please visit Barry's website to learn more about him and his career.

Head on over to my website! 

What's the craziest thing you saw when you were a cop?

My first week on the job, a guy running at me with a butcher knife. He'd just killed his brother over the last hot dog.

That's chapter 1. There are 33 more.

Police Stories: The Rookie Years just launched - available on Amazon. 

Search 'Police Stories Patrick O'Donnell' or click th

Support the show