During World War II, LAPD officer Dwight "Bucky" Bleichert, a former boxer, is estranged from his father, a Nazi-sympathizer. When his father's membership in the German American Bund is discovered by the police, Bucky is forced to allow two Japanese-American friends to be sent to an internment camp, for which he feels guilt. During the Zoot Suit Riots, Bucky meets Lee Blanchard, who is rising through the ranks in the department. Lee's career is threatened, however, because of his cohabitation with Kay Lake, in violation of LAPD policy. Kay is the former girlfriend of a gangster whose arrest by Lee helped make his reputation.