Edward M. Davis

Edward Michael Davis (November 15, 1916 – April 22, 2006) was the chief of the Los Angeles Police Department from 1969 to 1978, and later a California state senator from 1980 to 1992 and an unsuccessful Republican candidate for the United States Senate in 1986. Davis' name was familiar to a generation of Americans since it appeared on its own card for "technical advice" in the closing credits of the popular television programs Dragnet (1967–70) and Adam-12 (1968–75). Family Born in Los Angeles, California, to James Leonard Davis and Lillian Fox Davis, Davis graduated from John C. Fremont High School in Los Angeles. He joined the LAPD and married Virginia Osborne in 1940. During World War II he took a leave of absence from the police department in order to serve in the United States Navy. Police career When he became Chief of Police, Davis inherited a police department that was essentially the creation of Chief William H. Parker. He instantly became well known internationally in 1969 when he held a press conference announcing the arrests of Charles Manson and his followers for what are known as the Tate–LaBianca murders. His role is well-documented in the book Helter Skelter, written by Vincent Bugliosi, the prosecutor in the case.