In a small Southern town, a black man, Jim Price is elected sheriff over John Little, the white incumbent.

Racial tensions exist in the community, and Price gets little assistance from Little, who is leaving office, or from Mayor Parks, who insists he be consulted on any decision the new sheriff makes.

A white man, John Braddock, is arrested on a manslaughter charge after his drunken driving causes the death of a young girl.

Together, they try in vain to persuade other men in town to side with them against Braddock's vigilantes and to convince the mayor to call in the National Guard for help.

Another co-star, Bernie Casey, had played in the National Football League from 1961 to 1968, his career intersecting with that of Brown, who was an NFL star from 1957 to 1965.