Jack Lawler

Eagle with a Badge: the True Story of a State Police Pilot Jack Lawler

Eagle with a Badge is the true story of pilot Paul Creech, who flew Texas state police helicopters and other aircraft for thirty years, preceded by ten years as a Texas Highway Patrolman. It was a life of extreme danger, with times of stark terror, interspersed with the routine that all police officers know. By day, by night, in weather ranging from floods and tornadoes to snowstorms, Paul rescued people, and helped ground officers apprehend bank robbers, murderers, and escaping convicts. He provided dangerous, low-level air support in siege situations and drug raids, often acting as the "eyes" of officers on the ground. He was shot at often. His precision flying-in fact, his very survival-was calculated in seconds, inches, visibility, timing, and depended upon calm nerves and a steady hand on the controls.