When Starsky and Hutch deal with an armed hold-up, in self defence Starsky is forced to shoot one of the felons - who turns out to be a 16-year-old youth. An enquiry into the incident is held and Starsky is cleared of any wrong-doing, and he and Hutch set out to find who supplied the teenager with the gun. But a mad-man who's son was previously knifed to death in a jail cell after Starsky arrested him, begins killing cops, demanding Starsky's resignation, and promising that the killings will continue until Starsky complies...