Police Quest: In Pursuit of the Death Angel is the first in the Police Quest series and was designed by Jim Walls for Sierra and released in 1987. This classic adventure game follows the exploits of a local policeman, Sonny Bonds, as he tries to rid the city of a drug lord known as Death Angel.

Police Quest follows police procedures and rules from the real world. It’s recommended that you have the Police Quest Reference card on hand so you know the relevant keys. The Police Quest Newspaper also has the procedures for dealing with things like Traffic Stops and Felony Arrests.

Police Quest Keys

Driving

Get in or out of your car when the door is open – F4

Code 1 (Cruising Speed) – F6
Code 2 (Faster) – F8
Code 3 (Emergency with siren and lights) – F10

Toggle between map and 3rd person view – F4

Weapons

Load Weapon – F6
Draw Weapon – F8
Fire Weapon – F10

Other Keys

Use radio to contact dispatcher – CTRL-D or type “radio”

Toggle shower on or off – F10

Police Quest Map

Click on the map for a larger image. Points of interest are the Police Station (where you begin), the Courthouse and City Jail (to the south of the station on Seventh St.), The City Park (far west on Parkway Dve.), Carol’s (top row on Oak St.), The Hotel Delphoria (top row on Third St.) and The Blue Room (north-west from the station on Ninth St.).

Police Quest 1 Walkthrough

You begin the game in the hallway of the police station. You only have a few minutes to get ready for your first briefing so you’ll need to move quickly. To the west is the door to Sgt. Dooley’s office, the exhibits window is to the north-east, the computer room to the north-west and the locker room and briefing room to the east.

Enter the locker room and open your locker. It’s located in the middle of the right block of lockers. Take your GUN, AMMO, CUFFS and BRIEFCASE. Leave the locker room.

Enter the briefing room. Stand in front of the pigeon holes and LOOK IN HOLE. The middle hole is Steve’s. You’ll see he has a bunch of warrants. To the right is your pigeon hole. Look inside to find a note from Steve saying that he wants to meet you at Carol’s later during the shift.

Read the paper on one of the tables for an update on the local news. When you put it down the briefing should begin. You’ll need to find your spot which is the top desk on the right. Listen to the briefing and then leave the room.

Take the KEY from the board on the left and the RADIO from the desk and then walk west and west again to leave the building.

On the Beat

Your patrol car is the one parked in the lower left. You’ll need to conduct the vehicle inspection before you can drive. This involves doing one lap around the car. You’ll get a pop-up saying the vehicle inspection is complete. OPEN the driver’s DOOR, GET IN, CLOSE DOOR and press F4 to switch to map view.

SAVE the game before you drive as crashing is very easy. You can’t go through red lights unless your emergency lights are on. Drive around the streets for a minute or two until you get notified that there’s been an accident on Fourth St, just north of Peach. Drive to the location and park behind the crashed vehicle. Press F4 to return to street view.

Get out of your car and approach the vehicle. LOOK at MAN twice to discover that he was murdered. RADIO dispatch and they’ll send someone from the homicide team. TALK to the BYSTANDERS twice to get a partial number plate. Use your RADIO again to notify dispatch of the vehicle description of the offender. Wait around for a few moments until Sgt. Dooley and Detective Hamilton arrive.

Coffee Stop

Hop back into your patrol car and start patrolling the streets once more. This time Steve will give you a call letting you know he’s ready to catch up at Carol’s. Drive up to Carol’s and park behind Steve’s car. Get out of the car and enter the cafe. SIT down with Steve and wait for Carol to serve your coffee. DRINK COFFEE.

After a few moments the phone will start to ring. Carol will answer it and tell you that Hamilton has called for you. STAND and ANSWER the PHONE. Hamilton will give you some information about the deceased driver. Leave and get back in your car.

Writing Your First Ticket

Save the game and start driving around once more. After a while a red sports car will run a red light. Turn on your siren and follow the driver until they pull over. Use your RADIO to call dispatch. OPEN BRIEFCASE and take out your PEN and TICKET BOOK.

Get out of the car and walk up to the woman in the red car. LOOK at WOMAN and ASK for her LICENSE. She’ll try to convince you to let her off the hook. RETURN LICENSE and WRITE TICKET. ASK LADY to SIGN the ticket and then GIVE HER THE TICKET. She’s not happy about it but you’ve got a job to do. Walk back to your car and get in.

Dealing with Bikers

Drive around the streets once more until you get a call from Carol’s regarding a complaint. Park your car out the front and before you leave the car TAKE NIGHTSTICK. Get out of the car. Notice the line of motorbikes out the front. If you get too close you’ll “accidentally” knock them over.

Enter Carol’s and TALK to CAROL. She’s upset about the bikers taking all the parking spots and wants you to go and talk to them. Leave and go next door to Wino Willy’s. TALK to the BIKERS. They don’t want anything to do with you and start to get a bit physical. Press F10 to use you nightstick and scare them all off.

A girl is still left at the bar. TALK to the GIRL. This is Sweet Cheeks Marie. Say that you want INFORMATION and she’ll tell you about Death Angel. Leave the car and get back in your car.

Drunk Driver

Head back out to the streets and start patrolling again. After a while you’ll notice a pink car wandering all over the road. Turn on your sirens and follow the pink car until it pulls over. Go back to the street view and get out of your car. When you get close to the drunk driver tell him to GET OUT. Ask for his LICENSE, return it, and then ADMINISTER FST. HANDCUFF the MAN. He’ll ask you to cuff him with his hands in front but reply NO.

READ him his RIGHTS and then HANDCUFF the Man. Tell him to FOLLOW ME. Walk to the car, open the rear door and let him get in. Close the door and then get in the car. Toggle back to the map view and drive to the Jail.

Get out, open the rear door and he will walk up the stairs. Close both the doors and walk up the stairs to the lockers. OPEN LOCKER and PUT GUN IN LOCKER. PRESS the BUTTON on the right side of the door and go inside.

The clerk will ask why you’re here. Tell him you have a DRUNK DRIVER. TAKE OFF the CUFFS and walk the drunk driver into his cell.

As you’re about to leave the Jail Laura will come in and tell you that there’s an opportunity open in narcotics. The clerk will also tell you that Sgt. Dooley called and wants you to go back to the office to see him. Leave the jail, retrieve your gun from the locker and get back in the car.

Back to the Police Station

Drive back to the Police Station and enter the building. Look at the desk and WRITE a MEMO. PUT the MEMO in the BASKET and walk off the screen to the right. You’ll see Sgt. Dooley and a few police officers milling about. Walk close to them to hear what they have to say. Apparently someone’s trolled Dooley by putting a chicken on his desk!

Open the door to Dooley’s office and walk in. Take a LOOK at the CHICKEN and then leave the room. There’s still a few officers about so have a chat with them. They’re preparing a surprise party for Jack at the Blue Room.

RETURN the KEY and RADIO, then head into the locker room. OPEN your LOCKER, REMOVE your CLOTHES and then take a shower by pressing F10 when you’re under the shower. Get changed into your street clothes, TAKE your KEYS and then walk out to the parking lot.

The Blue Room

Get into the blue corvette. You don’t need to worry about a vehicle inspection this time. Drive to the Blue Room and enter the bar. Jack is sitting alone in the middle. Go and have a seat next to him. In a few moments more and more of his friends will arrive, including a dancer!

During the party an officer, Keith, reminds you that you switched shifts with him and that you’re due back at the station in 15 minutes. Quickly get back into your corvette and head back to the Police Station.

Go to the locker room and perform the usual routine. Have a shower, get changed and grab all of your police equipment. First go into the briefing room for instructions on this shift. Look in your pigeon hole for another message. Once the briefing is over walk out to the parking lot, perform the vehicle inspection of your patrol car and get inside.

The Prime Suspect

Head out into the streets and start patrolling around. In a short while you’ll get a message on your radio that the car has been spotted in your vicinity. Have a look around the map and you should be able to see a light blue car driving around. Put on your sirens and chase it down. Eventually it will stop and pull over. If the car escapes then continue driving around until you get another message and try again.

Toggle to street view and remain in your car. Use the RADIO to call for backup. You may want to SAVE the game here as you’ll need to follow these instructions precisely. When your backup arrives he’ll take up position hiding behind the passenger’s door with his gun drawn.

OPEN your DOOR, GET OUT, load your gun (F6) and then draw your gun (F8). Do not move at all! Tell the suspect to GET OUT. He’ll open the door and start moving towards you. Tell him to put his HANDS UP and then to LIE DOWN. If he’s moving too quickly towards you you can tell him to HALT.

Now with your gun drawn you can walk towards him. Your partners got you covered so when you’re next to him holster your gun and then CUFF MAN. SEARCH the MAN and then READ him his RIGHTS.

Tell the man to GET UP and to FOLLOW ME. Take him to the patrol car and put him in the back seat. Now you’re free to search his car. Have a look inside the suspect’s car and OPEN the GLOVEBOX. LOOK at the LICENSES and READ the BOOK. CLOSE the GLOVEBOX and go to the back of the car. OPEN the TRUNK to find a few bags of drugs. Your partner will tell you that the detective will deal with it. Get in your car and drive to the Jail.

Investigation

Take the prisoner inside the Jail, remembering to close the patrol car doors and to put your gun away in the locker. Once inside book the suspect for FELONY, TAKE his CUFFS OFF and then walk him to his cell. As you leave the jail Jack will arrive and tell you that Sgt. Dooley wants to see you. Grab your gun and head back to the patrol car.

Drive to the Police Station and enter Sgt. Dooley’s office. He has a memo for you but can’t read it because someone sprayed it with mace. Go over to his desk and READ the MEMO yourself. You’ve been promoted to the narcotics division.

Leave the office and RETURN the KEYS to the board but keep your radio. Go to the locker room, have a shower and get changed into your regular clothes. Take the rest of your equipment including the belt with gun as you’ll need it.

Go to the narcotics office and you’ll find Laura at her desk. TALK to LAURA and she’ll tell you to see the Lieutenant in the next office to the left. He’ll tell you that you’ll be working on the Hoffman case with Laura as your partner. Go back and see Laura for a tour of the narcotics office.

Laura will tell you that Hoffman is about to be bailed out of jail for $500,000. You need to find evidence to keep him in jail. OPEN the CABINET drawer and READ the HOFFMAN file. TAKE the FILE and then walk over to the clipboard on the wall. READ the CLIPBOARD and flip through the pages until you get to the FBI list. It seems Hoffman is also known as Jason Taselli and is wanted for murder. TAKE the LIST and put the clipboard down.

While you’re here TAKE the KEYS to the undercover patrol car and then leave the room. Enter the computer room, the next office on the right and USE the COMPUTER. Search for TASELLI for information about his various pseudonyms. That’s all the evidence you need. Leave the building, perform a vehicle inspection on the undercover car (white car at the back) and get in.

Quickly drive the car to the courthouse and go inside. Speak with the clerk and tell him it’s an EMERGENCY. He’ll get back to you in a few moments and tell you that you can go inside. Walk into the courtroom and approach the judge. SHOW her the FILE and SHOW her the POSTER. When she asks why you think Hoffman and Taselli are the same person say TATTOO. This will be enough for the judge to give you the warrant to keep Hoffman in jail.

Leave the building, get in your car and drive across the street to the jail. Get out, put your gun away and go inside. Talk to the clerk and GIVE him the WARRANT. This will keep Hoffman in prison for a little while longer. Leave the jail and drive back to the police station.

Drug Bust

When you get out of the car Laura will approach and say that you need to head over to the Park for a drug bust. She’ll get into the car with you. Make your way over to the far west to the City Park. TALK to LAURA and she’ll tell you that she’ll provide backup from the car.

OPEN the DOOR, get out and then walk up the stairs to the park. You’ll need to find a good hiding place so hide behind the bushes to either the left or the right until you’re out of sight. You’ll get a message that you’re in a good hiding spot. You’ll need to follow the instructions below exactly or the drug bust will go haywire and you’ll end up dead.

RADIO Laura to let your know you’re in position. Load your gun and draw your gun. Wait for the buyer to appear and then wait some more for the seller to appear.

Watch the drug dealers do business and wait until the money and drugs have changed hands. Once they have RADIO Laura again to notify her. Say HALT. The seller will run off but the buyer will stand in place. RADIO Laura again to notify her of the runner.

Walk over to the buyer, holster your gun and then CUFF MAN. READ him his RIGHTS and then tell him to FOLLOW ME. Walk back to the car to find Laura has already captured the other guy. SEARCH MAN and TALK to MAN twice to find out his name is Simms and that he’s buying from Colby. Speak with Colby twice to find out who his source his and the phone number. Put the criminals in the back seat.

Get in your car and RADIO to dispatch. Take both suspects off to Jail. Enter the jail and tell the clerk you’re booking them for DRUGS. Leave the Jail and go back to the Police Station. Laura is there and tells you that you should go to the Blue Room to let Jack know about the bust. Once you get there he says it’s too late and that his daughter has already OD’d and is intensive care. A cab will come to pick up Jack. Keith arrives and tells you that Taselli has escaped prison and that you’re to go back and see the Lieutenant right away.

Taselli’s Escape

Back at the Station enter Morgan’s office and he’ll tell you to take a look at Taselli’s Black Book from the evidence room. Leave the room and walk to the right. The evidence window is on the far right. Talk to the guard and ask him for the BLACK BOOK. Read it and then give it back.

Return to your office and LOOK in the BASKET on your desk. There’s a note from Laura. Leave the office and return. Laura will now be at her desk. When you talk to her she’ll tell you that Sweet Cheeks is in jail and wants to see  you but to go in and see Lt. Morgan first.

Enter Morgan’s office and he’ll tell you that Sweet Cheeks may be able to help with the investigation by providing a cover story for you. The target is Hotel Delphoria but first you need to get Sweet Cheeks out of jail.

Drive to the Jail and speak with Sweet Cheeks. Ask her to HELP with OPERATION and she’ll agree to help. Leave the Jail and start driving back towards the Police Station. On the way you’ll get a call to investigate a body at Cotton Cove. Cotton Cove is a small cul-de-sac in the south-eastern corner of the map. Drive over there and get out of the car.

Walk up to the officer and then over to the victim. MOVE the BLANKET and then LOOK at NIPPLE. Yep, this is Taselli. RADIO back the information to dispatch and then drive back to the station.

Undercover

Enter Morgan’s office and have a chat with the Lt., Laura and Sweet Cheeks about the undercover operation. When the discussion is over head over to the locker room, dropping off your RADIO along the way. Take off your clothes, put all your items in the locker and then get in the shower.

BLEACH your HAIR and then RINSE your HAIR. Turn off the shower, go back to your locker and WEAR the SUIT. Leave everything else inside the locker. Go back to Morgan’s office to let him know you’re ready. He’ll give you instructions on what to do as well as $1,000 in marked bills. When he’s finished talking ASK FOR PHONE NUMBER so you can call back to this office when you’re at the hotel.

Leave the building, perform the vehicle inspection and take the undercover car to the Hotel Delphoria.

Hotel Delphoria

Park in the odd-shaped driveway of the hotel and go inside. RING the BELL, speak with the clerk and ask to REGISTER. PAY the CLERK and then go through the doorway to the north-west into the bar room.

When the bartender comes over and asks what you want say you’d like WHISKEY. Sweet Cheeks will recognize get the signal and take you over to a table. She’ll introduce you to the bartender but he’s still not opening up, even after Sweet Cheeks goes to the bathroom for a little while.

It’s time to be a little more forward. Stand up and go to the bar. SHOW MONEY to the bartender. He’ll invite you to a poker game but you need to sort out a lift for Marie Sweet Cheeks first. Leave the bar and enter the lift. Press TWO and walk left to your hotel room, 204.

UNLOCK the DOOR and go inside. USE the PHONE and call 555-6674 to update Morgan on what’s going on. He’ll tell you to get a taxi for Marie. USE the PHONE and call 411 for information. Say TAXI and they’ll give you the number. USE PHONE again and call the taxi on the number you were just give, 555-9222. Marie will leave to take the taxi back to the station.

Go back to the lift and press ONE. Enter the bar and SHOW WOODY the MONEY. HE’ll take you to a back room, pat you down and let you in to the poker room. Sit down at the table with the spare chairs in the back left. Wait for the final player and begin playing poker.

You’ll want to save your game often, every time you win a hand. The F-keys won’t work but you can type SAVE or RESTORE into the text parser after every round. To start a new round type DEAL. To fold type FOL[d].

After you win a few times one of the players will invite you back later for a big game. He’ll also give you the password ‘FRANK SENT ME’. Go back to your room on the second floor and wait till your backup arrives. Once they enter your room talk to the officer on the left and ASK FOR TRANSMITTER.

Take the lift down to the first floor, go to the bar and tell Woody the password “FRANK SENT ME”. He’ll take you out the back for another game of poker. After you sit down you’ll notice that Frank is actually the Death Angel! SAVE the game and play poker again until you win enough times for Frank to stop the game.

When Frank asks if you want a job say YES. He’ll ask if you want to help out so say YES a second time. He’ll lead you up the stairwell. Along the way RADIO your backup to let them know what’s going on.

Once you reach the fourth floor Frank will enter the hallway. Follow him through and stop outside his apartment. RADIO backup to let them know the number of Frank’s room. Go inside.

Frank will tell you to get a drink and then take a phone call. When he comes back he recognizes you as a police officer and is about to kill you before your backup arrives and saves the day.

Congratulations on completing Police Quest 1: In Pursuit of the Death Angel!

Police Quest 1 is an adventure game by Jim Walls and published by Sierra On-Line in 1987. It’s the first of the series and is still available as part of a pack on GOG which you can purchase here. Jim Walls was a former police officer and used many of the regulations and procedures that real police officers use in the field.