There's one man dead. It's not my fault. I don't want any more hurt.
Sheriff Teasle [on top of a cliff above Rambo]
Freeze, or I'll blow your head off.
Teasle FIRE!
Played by Brian Dennehy 
First Blood (1982) · 11 quotes
First Blood (1982) · 11 quotes
Most-quoted character in First Blood (1982): in 9 of its 11 quotes
Most scenes with: Col. Trautman (6), Rambo (4)
Scenes with Sheriff Teasle
9 scenes Sheriff Teasle Teasle 
I don't think you understand. I didn't come to rescue Rambo from you. I came here to rescue you from him.
Sheriff Teasle [clearly taken aback by Trautman's words]
Well, we all appreciate your concern Colonel, I will try to be extra careful!
You picked the wrong man to push.
Sheriff Teasle [walking back into the tent]
No, Trautman, he picked the wrong man!
[following him in]
That boy's a heart attack! He may be the best the Special Forces ever produced. Now whatever you're planning to throw at him here, he's been through a whole lot worse, in a lot worse places that this. I'm just amazed he allowed any of your posse to live.
Teasle Is that right?
Strictly speaking, he slipped up. You're lucky to be breathing.
Teasle Colonel, you came out here to find out why one of your machines blew a gasket!
You don't seem to want to accept the fact that you're dealing with an expert in guerrilla warfare, with a man who's the best! With guns, with knives, with his bare hands! A man who's been trained to ignore pain! To ignore weather! To live off the land! To eat things that would make a billy goat puke! In Vietnam his job was to dispose of enemy personnel... to kill, period! Win by attrition... well Rambo was THE BEST!
Deputy Lester
[referring to the mistreatment of Rambo]
I was just talking to Mitch, and he said that Gault and a couple of the deputies were... a little hard on the guy.
Capt. Kern
Assholes!
Sheriff Teasle It doesn't make one goddamn bit of difference, Dave, and you know it! If one of my deputies... gets out of line with a prisoner then the prisoner comes to me with it. And if I find out it's like he says I kick the deputy's ass! Me! The Law! People start **** around with the law then all hell breaks loose! Whatever possessed God in heaven to make a man like Rambo?
God didn't make Rambo, I made him!
Sheriff Teasle He was just another drifter who broke the law!
Vagrancy, wasn't it? That's gonna look real good on his gravestone in Arlington: Here lies John Rambo, winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor, survivor of countless incursions behind enemy lines. Killed for vagrancy in Jerkwater, USA.
Teasle Now don't give me any of that crap, Trautman. Do you think Rambo was the only guy who had a tough time in Vietnam? He killed a police officer for Christ's sake!
You're goddamn lucky he didn't kill all of you.
If you send your people in there after him they'll get killed.
Sheriff Teasle [getting more irritated]
You know, we're just a small, hick-town sheriff's department, Colonel, but we're expected to do our duty just like our heroes in the Special Forces.
In Special Forces we teach our people to stay alive in the line of duty.
Teasle No shit, I never thought of that.
You want a war you can't win?
Teasle Are you tellin' me that 200 of our men against your boy is a no-win situation for us?
You send that many, don't forget one thing.
Teasle What?
A good supply of body-bags.
[on the radio]
It's good to hear your voice Johnny, it's been a long time. Look John, you've done some damage here...
Sheriff Teasle [informed of triangulated signal]
He's northwest.
...But they don't want any more trouble. That's why I've come. I want to come in there and fly you the hell out. Just you and me. We'll work this thing out together. Is that fair enough?
Where'd you come from sir?
Bragg.
I tried to get in touch with you, but the guys at Bragg never knew where to find you.
Yeah well, I haven't been spending much time there lately, they've got me down in D.C. I'm shining a seat with my ass.
I wish I was back in Bragg now.
We'll talk about that when you come in.
I can't do that sir.
Look John, we can't have you running around out there wasting friendly civilians.
There are no friendly civilians!
I'm your friend Johnny! I was there with you knee-deep in all that blood and guts. I covered your ass more than once. Seems like bailing you out of trouble's got to be a life-time job for me.
There wouldn't be no trouble except for that king-shit cop! All I wanted was something to eat, but the man kept pushing sir.
Well, you did some pushing on your own John.
They drew first blood, not me.
Look Johnny, let me come in and get you the hell out of there!
They drew first blood... [signs off]
Rambo, are you still reading me? Covey leader to Raven! Rambo! Acknowledge!
Teasle There's a diner about thirty miles up the highway.
Is there any law against me getting something here?
Teasle Yeah. Me.
Why are you pushing me?
Teasle What did you say?
I said, why are you pushing me? I haven't done anything to you.
There's one man dead! It's not my fault! I don't want any more hurt!
Sheriff Teasle Freeze, stand right where you are, give yourself up!
But I didn't do anything!
Sheriff Teasle I'm warning you boy, don't make a move or I'll blow your head off!
I didn't do anything!
Deputy Lester
I was just talking to Mitch, and he said that Gault and a couple of the deputies were… a little hard on the guy.
Capt. Kern
Assholes!
Sheriff Teasle It doesn't make one goddamn bit of difference, Dave, and you know it! If one of my deputies gets out of line with a prisoner, then the prisoner comes to me with it. And if I find out it's like he says I kick the deputy's ass, Me, the law! People start **** around with the law then all hell breaks loose! Whatever possessed God in heaven to make a man like Rambo?
Teasle Who the hell are you?
Sam Trautman. Colonel Samuel Trautman.
Teasle Look, we're a little busy this morning, Colonel. What can I do for you?
I've come to get my boy.
Kern
Your boy?
I recruited him. I trained him. I commanded him in Vietnam for three years. I'd say that makes him mine.
Teasle I wonder why the Pentagon would send a full-bird colonel down here to handle this.
The Army thought I might be able to help.
Teasle I don't know. In what way? Rambo's a civilian now. He's my problem.
I don't think you understand. I didn't come here to rescue Rambo from you. I came here to rescue you from him.
Teasle Well, we all appreciate your concern, Colonel. I will try to be extra careful!
I'm just amazed he allowed any of your posse to live.
Teasle Is that right?
Strictly speaking, he slipped up. You're lucky to be breathing.
Teasle That's just great, Colonel. You came out here to find out why one of your machines blew a gasket!
You don't seem to want to accept the fact that you're dealing with an expert in guerrilla warfare, with a man who's the best with guns, with knives, with his bare hands! A man who's been trained to ignore pain, to ignore weather, to live off the land, to eat things that would make a billy goat puke! In Vietnam his job was to dispose of enemy personnel — to kill, period! Win by attrition. Well, Rambo was the best!
Teasle Now we're afraid. What do you and the Special Forces suggest we do with the psychopath?
Let him go.
Lester
What?
For now. Defuse the situation. Defuse him. Provide a little gap, and let him slip through it. Then put out a nationwide APB. In a couple of weeks you'll find him in Seattle or someplace, working in a car wash. There'll be no fight and nobody else will get hurt.
Teasle I do my own work. I don't figure the best way to do that is to close my eyes and hope he gets picked up in Seattle!
Well, if you send your people in there after him they'll get killed!
Sheriff Teasle You know, we're just a small, hick-town sheriff's department, Colonel, but we're expected to do our duty just like our heroes in the Special Forces.
In Special Forces we teach our people to stay alive in the line of duty.
Teasle No shit. I never thought of that.
You want a war you can't win?
Teasle Are you telling me that two hundred men against your boy is a no-win situation for us?
You send that many, don't forget one thing.
Teasle What?
A good supply of body bags.
