In 1999, Dave Brown has served as a Los Angeles police officer for 24 years, and he patrols in the Rampart division, a bad neighborhood for crime. He explains to his newbie partner Jane that "nothing is illegal" if he is trying to do his job. At a pharmacy, Dave goes in alone and asks to be alone with a suspect so he can find out the location of a meth lab, promising the man the minor charges against him will go away. When the man does not cooperate, Dave beats him up.At the precinct, Dave gives the impression he knows a lot about case law, and admits if he can't actually remember a case that helps him, he will make one up.Dave goes home to his family. Daughter Helen is a lesbian and a songwriter with blonde and blue hair and an attitude. Daughter Margaret is younger with normal hair and nicer. Barbara and Catherine are sisters and the mothers of the two girls, and although Dave is no longer married to either one, he still lives there and still has sex with them.Later Dave is shown dating Sarah, a Black woman, as a man plays piano and sings. He tries to smoke and is told it's not allowed any more.While Dave is on patrol by himself, a car driven by Shondell Parmallee runs into him. When Shondell gets out of his car and starts running, Dave catches him and beats him brutally, as someone with a camera films everything, and soon the video of the beating is all over the news. There is already a "Rampart Scandal" but this makes everything worse. Assistant District Attorney Joan Confrey talks to Dave, who tries to justify his behavior by stating his service in Vietnam resulted in PTSD. Dave has no intention of retiring, saying in a future meeting with Joan that without this job, he'll have to pass the bar. Dave believes someone is tying to set him up. Shondell, Dave claims, hit him intentionally because someone is out to get him, and of course there was a camera to film everything.Dave goes back to the same bar where he met Sarah, and this time he meets Linda. Dave is somewhat suspicious of her but when she doesn't give him a reason to be, they go have sex. When Linda wants to leave, he doesn't want her to.Ex-cop Hartshorn believes Dave is being framed. They meet several times so Hartshorn can help Dave. Dave needs money to pay attorneys.A high-stakes card game is taking place at Crystal Market. Dave watches through a window and two men come in and rob the participants. As the men run out chased by one of the players, Dave chases them and shoots one. The other begs for his life and Dave lets him go, telling him to take some money out of the bag. Dave fires his gun into the air twice and then puts his gun into the hand of the dead man, firing it. A man in a wheelchair called "General" saw what happened, so Dave will have to deal with him.Dave's exes want him out of their house, which they are trying to sell. Dave has to try to find a place to live, but later he goes back to the house even after being asked to leave,Dave meets with "General" in a parking lot and offers to help him with what he needs, even giving him a cigarette and letting "General" drink from his whiskey bottle. Dave is still meeting with Linda from time to time, but he gives "General" her information because he can still function where he needs to with a woman.In a restaurant Dave sees a Black man who he suspects of investigating him. Kyle Timkins admits who he is. As part of their conversation, Kyle calls Dave a racist and Dave assures him he is not, saying he has even dated Black women. Dave also says he hates everyone.Dave breaks into Linda's place and she is angry but they still have sex.In another meeting with "General", Dave refuses to help him.In his final meeting with Hartshorn near an industrial site at the beach, Dave pulls a gun on Hartshorn, who takes it away and starts kicking Dave. Something happens behind a sand dune and Hartshorn is heard asking for an ambulance, but Dave leaves him.Dave's daughters come visit him at his new place, bringing him clothes, but they leave quickly after Dave admits everything bad they heard about him is true.Dave meets with Kyle and tapes a confession. Several times it has been mentioned that Dave killed a date rapist who had it coming. Dave admits that in 1987 he murdered the man but considered it justified. Kyle doesn't want the tape because there is enough other evidence that Dave can be put away anyway.At the end, Dave watches him family through a window.