“Did you hear about the cannibal policeman who was arrested for grilling his suspects?”

Policemen give suspects a “grilling,” but that’s usually not literal. “Did you hear about the cannibal policeman who was arrested? He was caught grilling his suspects” was printed in The Patriot Ledger (Quincy, MA) by Richard Lederer on September 25, 1999.
 
     
25 September 1999, The Patriot Ledger (Quincy, MA), “Looking at language / Eating up cannibal puns” by Richard Lederer, pg. 41:
Did you hear about the cannibal policeman who was arrested? He was caught grilling his suspects.
 
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“Puns of the Weak” 6-30-00
Stan Kegel
7/1/00
(...)
Did you hear about the cannibal policeman who was arrested?  He was caught grilling his suspects. (Very Punny)
     
Google Books
Over 1500 Fantastic Jokes
By Guy Campbell and Paul Moran
London, UK: Dean
2002
Pg. 319:
Did you hear about the cannibal policeman who was arrested? He was caught grilling his suspects.
 
Google Groups: alt.humor.puns
Puns of the Weak 01-17-03
Stan Kegel
1/17/03
(...)
Did you hear about the cannibal policeman who was arrested? He was caught grilling his suspects. (LOL Lude Lines)
   
Twitter
Wendy
@thejensenferry
Why did the Cannibal Policeman get the sack ? 
He was grilling his suspects.
10:09 PM - 4 Aug 2009
 
]Twitter
Tubbiechurch
@Tubbiechurch
Did you hear about the cannibal policeman who was arrested for grilling his suspects?
12:11 PM - 17 Dec 2014
 
Twitter
Bob Swanston
@SwanstonRobert
#sidesplittingsunday #1pun
Did you hear about the cannibal policeman who was arrested?
He was caught grilling his suspects.
6:26 AM - 22 Jul 2018