John Langley, creator of ‘Cops’ TV series, dies at 78 during road race in Mexico

BAJA CALIFORNIA, Mexico — John Langley, the creator and executive producer of the reality television series “Cops,” died after experiencing a heart attack while competing in an off-road race in Baja California, Mexico, over the weekend, the race’s organizer said.

Langley, 78, died around 3 p.m. Saturday during the Coast to Coast Ensenada-San Felipe 250, according to Ramón Castro, the Director of Record Off-Road Races, who was present.

“The rescue teams acted quickly, but he didn’t survive,” Castro said.

CNN reached out to Langley’s representatives for additional details but has not heard back.

Langley created and produced “Cops” together with Malcolm Barbour since its premiere on Fox in 1989. The reality series ran for more than 30 years before being canceled in 2020 amid debate around its depiction of police officers and policing.

Langley Productions, which he ran with his son Morgan Langley, produced several unscripted shows, including “Cops,” according to Langley’s bio on the Langley Productions website.

He and his sons were avid off-road racers, his bio states.