Mobster Carmine Ricca (Richard Devon) drives away from court in his limo after being Acquittal of a mass murder on a legal technicality. However, while his limo is on an isolated road, Ricca and his three associates are murdered by an San Francisco Police Department Police officer. Inspector Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood) visits the crime scene alongside his partner Earlington "Early" Smith (Felton Perry), despite the fact that the two of them are supposed to be on stakeout duty. Callahan trades barbs with their superior, Lieutenant Neil Briggs (Hal Holbrook). After he and Early stumble upon and foil an attempt to hijack an airliner, Callahan meets rookie cops Phil Sweet (Tim Matheson), John Davis (David Soul), Alan "Red" Astrachan (Kip Niven), and Mike Grimes (Robert Urich) while practicing at an indoor firing range. Callahan deduces that Sweet is an ex-United States Army Rangers and Special forces veteran after loaning his gun to the rookie, being very impressed by the rookies. Sometime after, a motorcycle cop slaughters a mobster's pool party using a satchel charge and a submachine gun.