Man Shoots Four Would-Be Robbers on NYC Subway (1984)

Dubbed the “Subway Vigilante” by the tabloids, Bernard Hugo Goetz became a symbol of New Yorkers’ frustrations with rampant crime when he shot four men intending to rob him on a city subway train, paralyzing one of them. The publicity following the incident and his ensuing trial for attempted murder, assault, reckless endangerment, and firearms offenses divided the public. While some believed Goetz rightly acted in self-defense, others felt he had overreacted. What was the result of the trial? Discuss

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