Detective-Sergeant Johnson (Connery) has been a police officer for 20 years, and is deeply affected by the murders, rapes, and other violent crimes he has investigated. He is plagued by images of violence, and is losing his mind under the strain.
His anger surfaces while interrogating Kenneth Baxter (Bannen), who is suspected of raping a young girl; by the end of the interrogation, Johnson has beaten him to death. Johnson is suspended and returns home for the night, and gets into a violent argument with his wife, Maureen (Vivien Merchant).
The following day, Johnson is interrogated by Detective Superintendent Cartwright (Trevor Howard), and during the long interrogation flashbacks show the events during the night when Johnson killed Baxter.
The flashbacks portray Baxter â whose guilt or innocence is left ambiguous â taunting Johnson during the interrogation, insinuating that he secretly wants to commit the sort of sex crimes he investigates. Johnson at first flies into a rage and strikes Baxter, but he eventually admits that he does indeed harbour obsessive fantasies of murder and rape. He then tearfully begs Baxter to help him. When Baxter recoils from him in disgust, Johnson snaps and kills him.
The film ends with another flashback, this time of Johnson attacking the police officers who pulled him off Baxter, and muttering, "God...my God..." as he realizes what he has done.
Why does Johnson snap and kill Baxter?
Baxter recoils from him in disgust