Walsh is a corrupted, greedy, insensitive official who does not believe in making waves or tampering in any way with the established system, including its racist aspects, which he condones.

The one white cop for whom George feels deep attachment is Tim Cassidy (PATRICK McVEY), now farmed out to pasture at a home for the aged following 35 years on the force.

When he goes to visit Tim at the home, he brings along a bottle of bourbon, and the two become inebriated. George, seeking Tim's counsel, receives the man's bitter remorse instead. Tim makes a grand gesture, however, when he presents George with a gun that his wife gave him, the last of his valued possessions.

Throughout his daily existence, George finds himself caught up in a violent world. He collars a white drunk (TIGER JOE MARSH) who calls him "nigger" and waves a knife in his face. He is manhandled as a suspected trouble-maker by a white cop because he is black. He helps break up a riot between hard-hats and young radicals and both sides hurl the same racial epithets at him. He arrests a pair of black drug-dealers and is told off for being a "nigger pig." His car is almost sideswiped by a careless white cabbie (ALLEN GARFIELD) who claims it was George's fault and calls him a "black bastard." Even the white pusher (JOHN McMURTRY) whom George waylays for selling pills to his daughter spits the word "nigger" at him following the bloody beating George gives him.

On top of everything George's mother dies and he refuses to attend her funeral in his hometown of Waterville, Alabama. Instead, as he does to escape all his problems, George retreats into his fantasy world in which he is the first black astronaut to go to the moon. In his fantasy, Walsh is the project's commanding officer, Bobby is a fellow astronaut, and Tim is an astronaut who has to be dropped from the project because of his age and failing health.

His fantasy includes a visit to his hometown, where he once again sees his mother (BEATRICE WEBSTER), and a stay in a hospital, where, while re~ covering from his moon flight, he orders a beautiful blonde nurse (INGEBORG SORENSEN) to strip and climb into bed with him, which she does.

George's real existence comes into focus following a harsh argument with Viola, who explodes when he tells her he wants to quit the force. He decides to desert his family and run off with his mistress. Going to the club to get her, he becomes involved in a hassle with the club owner (JERRY JONES), which leads to a knock-down, table-smashing brawl with the club's giant bouncer (WILLIE HARRIS).

George wins the fight and leaves with his girl, only to discover that her fears and needs are the same as Viola's, and that he is accomplishing nothing by running off with her. The police notice George's reckless driving and two patrol cars give chase, but he eludes them. He then dumps the girl out of the car and returns home.

The next day he tells Viola that he has gotten himself "together" and that night joins Bobby on the graveyard shift. While inspecting part of his beat on foot, George delves into his fantasy. He sees himself riding in an open car, flanked by Tim and Bobby, covered with confetti and receiving the plaudits of his hometown and the President of the United States (RICHARD M. DIXON).

He also sees himself cut down by an assassin's bullet.