13 seconds of pure terror in a shootout with a drug dealer... Real crime. Real-life cop stories.
Sergeant Mark Langan relives his front-row seat working the seamier side of crime during his decorated twenty-six-year career from youngest rookie in 1978 to narcotics sergeant on the Omaha Police force.
Langan caught bold burglars who silently entered homes to get thrills off of touching sleeping victims. He hit bookie joints in smoke-filled bars, squeezed snitches for information, and arrested prostitutes and their everyday "Johns" in dangerous downtown alleys.
Langan worked his way up the ranks to command undercover narcotics operations in the 1980s when sinister LA gangbangers invaded Omaha and claimed neighborhoods to sell crack.
In his celebrated career, Langan felt the gut-wrenching pain of innocent children caught inside the wicked world of drugs and crime, their "safe" worlds shattered when the battering ram knocked down their doors-their cries haunt him every day. And two players from his past reemerge in startling ways.
Busting Bad Guys delivers a graphic and authentic look at solid policing on the streets of America's heartland and takes readers inside the high-adrenaline, top-secret investigations to develop innovative tactics to outsmart the criminals.
Steven Eskew, book reviewer and writer in New York City, says "Langan relates his many adventures with meat and potatoes precision, illustrating a cop's life with detailed imagery but without sensationalizing the excitement. He balances his memoir by sharing his years-later encounter with "One-Eyed Jack's" daughter, (the drug dealer that was killed during a shoot out at the beginning of the book), and an update on a childhood playmate who had descended into prostitution. The book's sheer readability and intriguing subject matter makes you sorry to find yourself on the final page."
Mark Langan retired after a twenty-six-year career with the Omaha Police Department. In 1978 Mark was the youngest police officer ever hired on the Omaha Police Department at age eighteen. He worked as a uniformed officer and as a detective in the Burglary, Vice, and Narcotics Units. Mark was promoted to the rank of sergeant in 1988, working as a supervisor in the Narcotics Unit until his retirement in 2004.
During his career Mark wrote nationally published articles on various law enforcement topics and lectured throughout the country. Recognized as a court-authorized expert on narcotics investigations, Mark testified hundreds of times in both state and federal court.
Mark is certified in teaching workplace violence and active shooter training for employees in private corporations.
He has appeared on national news programs including The Nancy Grace Show, CNN, and The Today Show.
Mark was awarded the Omaha Police Department's highest honors: the Medal of Valor for his actions in the Chavez shooting and the Distinguished Service Medal for his work in the Narcotics Unit, and numerous commendations over the years. From 2000 to 2008 Mark was appointed by the Governor to the Judicial Nominating Commission and was involved in selecting candidates for judgeships in Nebraska.
Mark is now Vice-President of Field Operations for the Nebraska Humane Society where he is responsible for the investigation of crimes involving animals. He has continued writing articles for national law enforcement publications and is a recognized national speaker on animal cruelty and dog fighting issues. He serves as a consultant on security and law enforcement topics for private clients. Mark and his wife, Annette, live in Omaha with their black Labrador Laci.
