The film is based on the true story of William O. "Bill" Zerby, a Solano County Sherriff's Office narcotics detective who suffered severe hearing loss as a result of a remote-controlled bomb which exploded as he entered his car on January 30, 1978. Zerby had been aggressively pursuing members of the Hells Angels on suspicion of drug dealing in the area. Producer Paul Pompian heard of the Zerby incident while filming a TV pilot in San Francisco and decided to pursue the idea of translating the events into a teleplay.