A former child star who appeared in Steven Spielberg's 1975 film "Jaws" was named police chief of Oak Bluffs in Martha's Vineyard, the Massachusetts island where the film was made.
Jonathan Searle is best defined by his role as one of the pranksters who placed a shark fin in the ocean waters in "Jaws." But rather than pursue acting as a career, he joined the Edgartown Police Department in 1986, according to the Vineyard Gazette.
After a 3-1 vote, Searle prepares to take the reins in June, when the current police chief is set to retire. Searle will be follow in the footsteps of his father, George Searle, who served as chief in Edgartown from 1981-95 and has been in the department since 1966.
"I’m clearly elated and I’m humbled and honored to have been offered the position," Jonathan Searle told the Gazette.
Edgartown is known by many as the home to Chappaquiddick Island, site of the 1969 automobile crash of a car driven by then-Sen. Ted Kennedy in which his passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne, drowned.
As he slowly worked his way through the ranks, Searle left an impression on the local community. Most recently, he lead an initiative in which he teamed up with police officers and recovery coaches to help get community members who were struggling with addiction into treatment programs.
But his acting stint has been forgotten. The Edgartown Police Department celebrated Searle's foray into acting with a special social media tribute in 2019 to coincide with the 44th anniversary of "Jaws."
"Also, anytime we can show off the fact that Sgt. Searle was in Jaws is a good day!!" the department wrote.
Searle said he is amused by the hype.
"I’m finding the whole thing quite funny myself," he said during an interview with the New York Post.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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