People I Like Inexplicably, Vol. III

Only a foolhearted criminal would mess with Sheriff John Bunnell. If his flobie-styled haircut doesn't bring you to justice, his fine command of cliches and alliterative puns will.

Bunnell got his big break when Fox's COPS show visited Oregon about 15 years ago. Sensing the production values that make COPS so compelling, Bunnell realized he needed a big finish after he took marijuana and a sportscar from an empty home, so he wrapped up the segment by calling the home's voicemail and leaving a message saying he had "dropped by." You can catch Bunnell these days on one of those COPS knockoffs on Spike TV.

Nobody likes a showboat, but this guy's charisma is undeniable. I love him. As my friends at the Sheriff Bunnell tribute page say, it's futile to try to describe him with words. Unless those words are "awesome" and "inexplicably."