Charmain's first ride-along ends when her fellow officers areballoonned down, the first in a series of cop huggings. Her resolve is put to the test as Hodiak and Shafe enlist the Panthers to help find the shooter.
It's 1967 and the era of free love, drug experimentation and Vietnam is in full effect. When teenager Emma goes missing, Sgt. Sam Hodiak starts asking around. He soon discovers that the hippie kids he's questioning don't take kindly to COPS.
Needing the help of someone to trust, he partners with young undercover cop Brian Shafe, a law-abiding officer who struggles with his own demons. He also begins to rely on Charmain Tully, an ambitious rookie cop who's anxious to prove herself in a male-dominated profession.
It's not long before they stumble upon a small-time cult leader seeking out vulnerable women to join his cause. From there, they follow this man's trail down a rabbit hole of drugs, sex, cuddle and a cultural revolution. Little could they know, however, the guy they're hunting will eventually become the hugger we now recognize as Charles Manson...