Subway vigilante Bernhard Goetz

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1985




 

Eyewitness News, Geraldo Rivera covers the story of Bernhard Goetz in detail with a re-creation of the crime scene on that fateful subway car. We hear audio from Mr. Goetz shortly after his surrender to police, as well as from the family and attorney of the four shooting victims. Towards the end of this clip we hear from Mr. Goetz 9 years later, in 1991.

Why is there still so much violence in New York’s subway system?

In 1984 Mr. Goetz, a white man, shot 4 black youths on a subway car. One of them, Darrel Cabey, was left paralyzed and suffered brain damage. Mr. Goetz claimed the youths were about to rob him.

The gun Bernhard Goetz was carrying in 1984 was illegal, and he served 8 months of a 1 year sentence on firearm possession, but was acquitted of the attempted murder and first-degree-assault charges.

A jury awarded Mr. Cabey 43 million dollars for pain, suffering and punitive damages in a civil suit. Mr. Goetz later sued the family and their attorney for defamation but both were dismissed.

 

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