Murtaugh was originally played by actor Danny Glover in all four films from 1987 to 1998,[2] and later by Damon Wayans in the Fox television series from 2016 to 2019.

[3][4] He is partnered with "loose cannon" and fellow Vietnam War veteran Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) to investigate a suspected suicide of the daughter of one of Murtaugh's closest friends.

He manages to kill General McAllister, the head of the cartel, by shooting the driver of his car, causing a bus-versus-car crash and a gigantic explosion.

Following this, Murtaugh fights off two attackers in his home with a nail gun and rescues new friend Leo Getz (Joe Pesci), a federal witness, from the cartel.

As punishment, both are demoted to patrolman, but earn their previous rank when they foil an armored car robbery and expose a gun running cartel.

When the city loses its insurance carrier due to all the property damage that Riggs and Murtaugh have caused on the job, they are temporarily promoted to captain in hopes of keeping them off the street.

In all four films Murtaugh's signature weapon is a 4" Smith & Wesson Model 19 .357 Magnum revolver which Riggs calls a "Six-shooter...A lot of old-timers carry those".

[7] In the season 7 episode "Ransom" of NBC's Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Captain Raymond Holt, played by Andre Braugher, claims that a movie was made on his crazy life back in the 80's.

When Jake Peralta asks him which movie it was, he insists he doesn't remember, and walks off saying "I'm too old for this crap", hinting that it was the Lethal Weapon series.