The film covers the events of 1967, where demonstrations erupt in Detroit due to racism. Law enforcement officers are sent to arrest the owners of an unlicensed club who have organized a party to celebrate the return of African-Americans from the Vietnam War. The raid is met with riots from members of the public. Among the police officers is Philip Krauss, who is involved in many killings of black rioters. The violence becomes intense, and rioters start looting the shops. A black security guard called Melvin Dismukes is tasked with taking care of the grocery store. Dismukes tries to help innocent protesters but is eventually arrested due to murder accusations.
The film is hit viewers with an unembellished perspective of white police officers violence against the black community in the U.S. Initial scenes of the film are dark depicting violence meted out against African-Americans. The dark scenes are filled with yells, looting of shops, and breaking of shop windows. The movie is full of camera movements. Rogue police officers are seen as terrorizing innocent civilians. The film paints a disarrayed image of chaotic incidents regularly witnessed between white police officers and members of the black community.
The violence witnessed in the film is perceived as an exhibition of a systemic and continuing pattern of historical injustice. Scenes displayed in the film evoke memories of discrimination and acts of brutality witnessed during the 1967 demonstrations in Detroit. The murder of unarmed African-Americans is continuously appalling. The story of racism should end in America. Police officers need to be discouraged from killing unarmed black men.
