In the 1982 film "First Blood," the small-town sheriff who arrests Rambo is William "Will" Teasle.
Teasle is the sheriff of Hope, Washington, where John Rambo arrives as a drifter after learning that his former Army friend has died. Teasle judges Rambo by his appearance, drives him out of town, and arrests him when he tries to return. The deputies' rough treatment at the station triggers Rambo's memories of torture in Vietnam, leading to his escape and the manhunt through the surrounding mountains.
Brian Dennehy plays Teasle, who becomes the film's principal local antagonist. Although Teasle initially intends to control the situation rather than launch a war, he refuses to stop pursuing Rambo even after learning that Rambo is a highly trained former Green Beret and Medal of Honor recipient. Their conflict culminates when Rambo returns to Hope and shoots Teasle in the leg with an M60 machine gun.
The surname is sometimes confused with Colonel Sam Trautman, Rambo's former commander and mentor. Trautman is played by Richard Crenna and tries to persuade both sides to end the confrontation. In the original novel, Teasle's fate differs substantially from the film's ending.