Michael Dowd | |
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Michael Dowd at the Edinburgh premiere of Precinct Seven Five in August 2015
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Born |
Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States |
January 10, 1961
Alma mater | New York City Police Academy |
Website | www |
Police career | |
Department | New York City Police Department |
Badge number | 79566 |
Allegiance | United States |
Years of service | 1981–92 |
Other work | Police consultant; actor |
Michael F. Dowd (born January 10, 1961) is a former New York City Police Department (NYPD) officer arrested in 1992 for running a drug ring out of Suffolk County, Long Island, New York. He is the subject of the 2014 documentary film The Seven Five directed by Tiller Russell and produced by Eli Holzman. A narrative feature adaptation by Sony Pictures adaptation is being produced by John Lesher and Megan Ellison.
Dowd was born on January 10, 1961 in Brooklyn, New York City. The third of seven children in an Irish Catholic family. He grew up in Brentwood, Long Island, on a block mostly populated by the families of police officers and firefighters. He excelled in school, never missing a class, and graduating 80th out of 800 students in his high school.
Because of his academic success in high school, Dowd was advised to become a physician, lawyer, or an accountant, but he also took the police test and the firefighter test. He decided to join the New York City Police Department when "the police test came back first. Simple as that." Dowd graduated from the New York City Police Academy in 1982 and was assigned to the 75th Precinct, which at that time was one of the most violent in the country.
In the 12 years and 5 months he was in prison, Dowd worked as a peer counselor, worked out, read, and ran the addiction and suicide prevention programs.
He has been featured on many podcasts, periodicals, radio and television programs. He also starred in an adult film in 2015.