Dirty Harry

A psychopathic sniper, later referred to as "Scorpio", shoots a woman while she swims in a San Francisco skyscraper rooftop pool. He leaves behind a threatening letter demanding he be paid $100,000 or he will kill more people. The note is found by SFPD Inspector Harry Callahan , who is investigating the killing. The mayor teams up with the police to track down the killer; to stall for time, he agrees to Scorpio's demand over Callahan's objections.

During his lunch break, Harry foils a bank robbery. ' Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement, I've kinda lost track myself. ' Well, do you, punk? Despite surrendering, the robber insists on knowing, and Harry jovially pulls the trigger, revealing the gun is empty.

Harry is assigned a rookie partner, Chico Gonzalez, against his opposition to working with yet another inexperienced police officer. Meanwhile, Scorpio is spotted by a police helicopter while staking for potential victims, but he escapes. Harry and Chico ride the beat, and Harry is assaulted by a neighborhood watch gang after they mistake Harry for a peeping tom . Chico comes to Harry's aid.

After assisting in preventing a suicide, Harry and Gonzalez learn that Scorpio has murdered a 10-year-old African-American boy. Based on Scorpio's letter, the police think his next victim will be a Catholic priest, and set a trap for him. Scorpio eventually arrives, kills a police officer in a shootout, and flees. The next day, the police receive another letter in which Scorpio claims to have kidnapped a teenager named Ann Mary Deacon.

He threatens to kill her if he is not given a ransom of $200,000. Harry is assigned to deliver the money, wearing a radio earpiece so Gonzalez can secretly follow him. Scorpio instructs Harry via payphones around the city. They meet at the Mount Davidson cross, where Scorpio beats Harry and admits he intends to kill him and let Ann Mary die.

Gonzalez intervenes and gets shot in the chest. Harry manages to stab Scorpio in the leg, but he escapes. Harry learns of Scorpio's hospital visit and a doctor reveals that the killer lives in a room at Kezar Stadium . Harry finds him there and chases him, shooting him in the leg.

Harry tortures Scorpio into confessing where Ann Mary is being held, but the police find her dead. The district attorney reprimands Harry for his conduct, explaining that because Harry obtained his evidence against Scorpio illegally, all of it is inadmissible in court, and Scorpio is to be freed. An outraged Harry continues to shadow Scorpio on his own time. Scorpio pays a man $200 to beat him severely and frames Harry for it, forcing Harry to stop following him.

Meanwhile, a hospitalized Gonzalez tells Harry of his intention to leave the SFPD and become a teacher instead. Scorpio steals a pistol from a liquor store owner and hijacks a school bus. He contacts the police with another ransom demand that includes a flight out of the country. Harry waits for him, then jumps onto the roof of the bus from an overpass.

Scorpio crashes the bus into a dirt mound and flees to a nearby quarry, where he takes a hostage before Harry wounds him. Harry aims his revolver and reprises his ultimatum about losing count of his shots. Scorpio reaches for his gun and Harry shoots. This time, the gun fires, killing Scorpio.

Harry removes his police badge from his wallet, throws it into the water, and walks away.