Inspector Sledge Hammer

Sledge Hammer, is a fictional police inspector who is known for his love for violence. A bumper sticker on his car says "I Love Violence". Despite his irresponsibility and very destructive urges, Hammer always ends up getting his man (or woman), often through sheer luck, brute force, the initiative of his partner, or sometimes a flash of brilliance. Hammer's unintentionally ironic motto is "Trust me. I know what I'm doing." (Disaster usually follows.) Another expression he often utters is "Don't confuse me", typically in response to any remark that challenges his ridiculously one-dimensional worldview.

Personality
Inspector Sledge Hammer of the San Francisco Police Department is a violent, sadistic, insensitive, yet oddly likable detective. His best friend is a nickel .44 Magnum Smith & Wesson Model 29 revolver with a customized grip featuring a drawing of a sledgehammer. Hammer sleeps and showers with his gun, and even talks to it. He believes in shooting first and asking questions never. Despite this, Hammer is never seen killing anybody during the whole 41 episodes of the show. Only in the pilot episode, he deals with a sniper on a skyscraper roof by blowing up the entire building with a bazooka, after which he utters "I think I got 'em" to onlooking cops. He also mentions that his favorite charity is "Toy Guns for Tots".

While purportedly a stickler for law and order, Hammer is rather lax when it comes to following police regulations. He enjoys roughing up suspected criminals, whom he frequently refers to as "brain-dead mutants", "yogurt-sucking creeps", and the like. He is often suspended from duty, and his police file requires a wheelbarrow to transport. While Hammer was patterned after "Dirty" Harry Callahan from the Dirty Harry series, he has also been compared to Eugene Tackleberry of the Police Academy series.

Family
Hammer's father was Jack Hammer, a legendary carnival trick shooter whose repertoire of shooting tricks included catching a bullet in his teeth, which saved his son's life in one episode. His mother's name was Armin Hammer.

He is divorced, and frequently makes jokes at the expense of his ex-wife (who makes an appearance in the final episode, played by Rasche's real-life wife, Heather Lupton).

Relationship with other characters
He often annoys his superior Captain Trunk who because of Hammer has high blood pressure. His relationship with his partner is questionable although throughout the show it is implied that he is indeed in love with her.

Career
How he became an inspector is debatable, but he loves his job. In one episode called They Shoot Hammers, Don't They? he is shown being a regular police officer. It has been questioned by various why is Sledge an inspector and Dori a detective but there was never an answer to that question.