Clint Eastwood stars as Walt Coogan, a soft-spoken, straightforward, Arizona lawman who is sent to New York City to extradite captured murderer James Ringerman (Don Stroud). Coogan slips up, Ringerman escapes again, and the hunt is on! Coogan's unorthodox law enforcement techniques don't go over too well with frustrated NYC Police Lieutenant McElroy (Lee J. Cobb), who can't decide which is worse... the prisoner, or the lawman!