Quinlan, a highly decorated and respected policeman, suffers from clinical depression. Quinlan's depression stems both from his work (primarily the extensive police corruption he sees around him) and his private life (primarily the fact that his wife wanted him to take bribes so so their lifestyle could improve).
Quinlan partners with his closest friend, the corrupt Detective Sergeant Frank Church, to work to bring down the corrupt officers from within the system. Working with a reporter and an officer from Internal Affairs, Quinlan exposes the corrupt officers to the press, even though he himself will be caught up (as a double agent) in the wave of arrests and sent to jail for corruption.
