Two prisoners on remand take a prison officer hostage and escape from the prison. In front of the main gate, Sergeant Jakobs shoots one of the escapees, the Turk Suk.

Inspector Haferkamp is faced with a difficult situation, because Sergeant Wörlemann accuses his colleague Jakobs of having shot prematurely and unnecessarily. Since Jakobs denies the truth of this statement, the fugitive Tomi Selzer would be an important witness, but Tomi does not turn himself in because he does not want to go back to prison. He was innocently imprisoned, but the hostage-taking means he can expect a several-year sentence. Haferkamp uses all means to get hold of his suspicious witness. These complications almost inevitably lead to catastrophe.