From the introduction: In 1996, a psychopathic criminal named Simon Phoenix kidnapped several dozen hostages and took refuge abandoned building. LAPD Sgt. John Spartan, known as the Demolition Man due to a highly successful track record but causes a high amount of property damage, goes in after him after his thermal scan finds no trace of the hostages. He manages to capture Phoenix, but the criminal sets off a series of explosives that demolishes the building. A search of the wreckage reveals 20 to 30 corpses. Spartan is charged with manslaughter, and he is incarcerated along with Phoenix in the city's new "California Cryo-Penitentiary", where they were cryogenically frozen