For rookie cop Roy Fehler's (Stacy Keach) first assignment, he's paired up with veteran Andy Kilvinski (George C. Scott) to work the streets of East Los Angeles. It's a tough job in a tough neighborhood, but, despite getting shot after only a short time on the force, Roy comes to love it. He gradually begins to put police work before all else, and, when his marriage fails as a result, Roy soldiers on unfazed, taking solace in a new relationship with a nurse (Rosalind Cash).