History Main / SmallTownTyrant

* ''Series/{{NCIS}}'': A [[CorruptCop sheriff's deputy]] is a Corrupt Hick. He has such an intense fear/hatred of Arabs that he [[spoiler:plants evidence of bomb-making in the garage of a young Arab man who has recently moved in]], justifying it as a 'pre-emptive strike'.

If he's not [[DirtyCop a cop]] or involved in local politics, odds are that he's [[CorruptCorporateExecutive a businessman]], especially a CattleBaron or RailroadBaron in period settings, who doesn't want those irritating townsfolk getting in the way of his precious profits -- that is, unless he ''[[TyrannicalTownTycoon literally]]'' [[CompanyTown owns the town]].

* ''FanFic/AGreatAndPowerfulHeart'': Sheriff Brass runs the small rural town of Promise. In his first scene, he threatens to lock Trixie up indefinitely over [[FelonyMisdemeanor a minor technicality]] unless he does his bidding. [[spoiler: Later, it is revealed he's a member of Filli Terram, a group of earth pony bigots, and that [[WouldHurtAChild he abandoned two children to die for not being earth ponies]] ]].

The [[DeepSouth rural southern U.S.]] and UsefulNotes/{{Appalachia}}, and indeed, the [[OopNorth rural north]], [[UsefulNotes/EastAnglia east]] and [[UsefulNotes/TheWestCountry west of England]], are apparently full of [[IOwnThisTown small towns run by evil hicks of some sort]]. His control over the town may be political, economic, religious, or purely criminal, but in most cases it gradually expands to "all of the above".

He will almost certainly wear a [[HatOfAuthority hat]], probably carry a gun, will probably chew tobacco and/or smoke cigars, is almost always white, and is virtually AlwaysMale. Will typically have [[HayseedName a uniquely Southern given name akin to Rufus or Clement]]. Good odds of being a FatSweatySouthernerInAWhiteSuit and/or a HalfWittedHillbilly, and if he's the mayor of the town, he will most likely be an evil MayorPain. There is also a good chance that he is a [[TheKlan Klansman]].

One of the most obvious hallmarks of a town run by a Tyrant is the apparent lack of a judicial system, oftentimes because they're TheSheriff and take this role to mean JudgeJuryAndExecutioner. It seems the Tyrant can just go around arresting whomever he wants for no reason without them ever getting a trial. If there's a courthouse in town, it's certainly not being used. (On the rare occasion there is a trial, it ''will'' have a HangingJudge who ''will'' be on the [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney payroll]].) In all these respects, this trope is effectively a modern-day version of the FeudalOverlord of yore. The fact that he was probably elected due to his popularity will usually be ignored, though expect him to be a CorruptPolitician who buys his elections if this comes up.

* ''Film/{{Tank}}'': Command Sergeant Major Zack Carey [[note]]Played by Creator/JamesGarner[[/note]] gets on the bad side of one of these, who ends up framing his son for drug possession and cheating him out of his retirement money. Garner's character, however, is a Command Sergeant Major in the Army -- literally almost a RetiredBadass- - and owns a fully restored, fully ''armed'' WWII Sherman tank. HilarityEnsues.