‘Jaws’ Child Actor is Now Police Chief in Martha’s Vineyard

Remember the movie "Jaws"? I mean even if you did not grow up in New England, you've probably seen one of Stephen Spielberg's most iconic films, starring a killer great white shark inhabiting the waters of Cape Cod.

In case you have not seen the film, here is a quick synopsis: Police Chief, Martin Brody, teams up with marine biologist, Matt Hooper, to hunt down a great white shark that is in the town of Amity, Massachusetts.

The town of Amity is fictional, however, the movie was filmed in Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard. According to New York Post, Oak Bluffs is home to just over 5,000 full-time residents including someone that you may recognize from the 1975 film.

Jonathan Searle and his brother, Steven, both natives of Martha's Vineyard, starred in this iconic Stephen Spielberg film. The two brothers played pranksters that ended up causing panic on the beach after swimming in the ocean with a cardboard fin.

According to New York Post, Jonathan Searle chose not to live the life of a movie star. Instead, he decided to follow in the footsteps of his father, who served on the police force for 30 years. Searle joined the police force in 1986.

Ironically, in 2008, Jonathan Searle was sent to investigate a potential shark attack in Martha's Vineyard. New York Post writes that after hearing about two great white sharks, Searle's investigation concluded that there were no sharks in the area.

On Monday, May 16th, Searle was named the new police chief of Oak Bluffs. According to New York Post, the town's board had a 3 to 1 vote that granted Searle this position.

Jonathan Searle came full circle from being a prankster and pretending that there is a shark in the water, to protecting his community both on and off the land.