Although Vic alleges to be a law abiding police officer, he is not beneath beating a suspect with a phone book while in custody to get information out him. When it comes down to himself and another cop, Vic will always choose his own skin.

Mackey once shot a fellow cop who threatened to blow the whistle on him  point-blank in the face. And when Vic discovered that one of the cops in the squad was gay, he threatened to reveal the man‘s secret unless the cop decided to give false witness in a case to protect Vic and another dirty cop who stole some cocaine confiscated during a drug bust.

To solve a dispute between two street thugs, Vic locked both of them inside a closed trailer and made them confront their differences. The next morning Vic opened the trailer to find one man dead, He let the other man walk, no questions asked.

Then again, Vic can be a good cop like when he gives a prostitute money to get off the street for the night and go home to see her kid. As for a family life, Vic has a troubled marriage with his wife, Corrine. They have a son who is autistic. For romance outside the home, Vic carries on an affair with fellow police officer Danielle "Danny" Sofer.

"I'm a different kind of cop"  --Vic Mackey