Detroit Police Department's Detective Orin Boyd (Steven Seagal) is a cop in Detroit's 21st precinct, who saves the Vice President of the United States (Christopher Lawford) from a right-wing Michigan militant group trying to kill him. As Boyd saved the Vice President's life by disobeying orders and killing all the militants, Captain Frank Daniels (Bruce McGill), who is also a long-time friend of Boyd, is forced to fire Boyd, but still tells him to talk with police chief Hinges (Bill Duke) who dislikes Boyd (because Boyd gives the police a bad name by disobeying orders) and has repeatedly tried to fire him, only for Boyd to be returned to duty by his friends in the trade union. Despite Boyd once again being returned to duty, Hinges transfers Boyd to the 15th precinct — Detroit's arguably worst police precinct.