On December 22, 1984, Bernard Goetz later known as the “subway vigilante,” shot four black men in a Manhattan subway car under the reasoning that the men threatened him and tried to rob him. The general public both praised and criticized Goetz’s actions. Three years after the shooting, Goetz was acquitted of attempted murder and assault but convicted of criminal possession of an unlicensed weapon and spent 250 days in jail. This event held significance for several aspects of society at the time. The firing of Goetz’s unlicensed revolver wounded three teenage African Americans severely and left another paralyzed for life but also triggered criticism regarding racial discrimination and mass media controversy over city crime rate and the limits of self defense. Soon after becoming a nationwide symbol, Goetz’s lawyer Barry Slotnick said Goetz wanted “to go back to being an anonymous stranger in New York.” (Toronto Star Article)Anti-Goetz demonstrators chased his car following his court verdict. Goetz later put out the statement, “If you’re injured, paralyzed or whatever while committing a violent crime against me, that’s not my fault.” The “subway vigilante” played a leading role in reevaluating societal views on criminal justice and racial stereotypes in America.
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