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GOETZ, BERNHARD 1947-

SUBWAY GUNMAN

A Vigilante in the Making

Bernhard Hugo Goetz Jr. was born on 7 November 1947 in New York City. He enjoyed a seemingly carefree existence as a child, but behind the veneer he suffered at the hands of a dictatorial father, a "real Prussian disciplinarian," according to an aunt. Various people and former classmates who knew him over the years related the impression that he was a bookworm, but one who at times seemed to be under a lot of pressure. As an adult in New York City, he had been the victim of a mugging by three black youths in 1981 in which he was injured. This appears to have been the impetus for his later actions.

Mister, Can I Have $5?

Those are the words that Troy Canty states he said to Goetz on a subway train on 22 December 1984. Goetz's response reportedly was, "Sure, I've got five dollars for each of you." Instead, he pulled out a gun and started firing. After the fact, the four black youths shot by Goetz admitted that they were "fooling around on the train when this white dude came in and sat down next to us." Canty was the first one shot, in the chest, the bullet just missing his heart. Barry Allen was shot next, in the back of his neck as he turned to try to escape. James Ramseur was shot next, by one of two hollow-point bullets that Goetz had in the revolver. Hollow-point bullets, also known as dum dums, are designed to cause the maximum damage possible to human flesh by expanding as they enter their target. The one that hit Ramseur went through his arm, into his chest, and destroyed his spleen. The last person shot, Darrell Cabey, also suffered a shot by a hollow-point bullet. It pierced both of his lungs and severed his spinal cord, paralyzing him from the waist down.

Concord Confession

On 31 December 1984, nine days after the shooting, Goetz walked into police headquarters in Concord, New Hampshire, and informed the officer on duty that he was the gunman that the New York City authorities were searching for. During the course of a rambling statement to Concord police officer Warren Foote, he admitted to the shooting and informed the police of his activities afterward. Goetz's description of the shooting was that he entered the subway car and took a seat at one end of the car, near where the four black youths were sitting. He then stated that two of the youths got up to stand next to him and asked him for five dollars. When Goetz got up, he claimed that one of the black males put his hand in his pocket and "made like he had a weapon of some type there." Goetz went on to explain that by that time, he had already laid down his pattern of fire. He admitted shooting all four of the victims.

Verdict

For nearly three years following the shooting, the defense and the prosecution played cat and mouse, with the prosecution calling first one and then a second grand jury in an effort to indict Goetz and with the defense filing a series of motions for dismissal. The prosecution wanted to try Goetz for assault, attempted murder, illegal weapons possession, and reckless endangerment. The defense succeeded in having the lower courts drop the assault and attempted murder charges based on the prosecution's error in relating the law of self-defense to the grand jury. The New York Court of Appeals reinstated the charges, and Goetz was finally going to trial. In June 1987, nearly three and a half years after shooting the four men, Goetz received the jury verdict—not guilty on all counts except illegal possession of a handgun.