Stephen Downing , a Los Angeles Police Department officer who turned to a TV writing and producing career that included work on such series as Adam-12 , Kojak and MacGyver , died of sepsis November 20 in Long Beach, California, hospital. He was 87.

His death was announced by his son Michael, a retired deputy chief of the L.A.P.D.

“Throughout his law enforcement career, dating back to 1965, he brought his deep knowledge of policing to the screen,” his son wrote in an online tribute . “As a screenwriter, producer and showrunner, he worked on many acclaimed series and made for television movies: MacGyver, T.J. Hooker, Emergency, Kojak, Quincy, Knight Rider, F/X the TV Series, Police Story, Police Woman, RoboCop The TV Series, Dragnet, Adam-12, and Walking Tall .

According to

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