Former Los Angeles police officer turned best- selling author Joseph Wambaugh, known for books such as "The Onion Field" and "The New Centurions," has died at the age of 88.

He wrote 'The Onion Field,' 'The New Centurions' and 'The Blue Knight' and created the realistic anthology series 'Police Story.'

The prolific author, who initially planned to be an English teacher, had been with the Los Angeles Police Department 11 years and reached the rank of sergeant when he published his first novel in