Bernhard Goetz shoots four would-be muggers on an express train in Manhattan section of New York, New York.
On December 22, 1984, Bernhard Goetz () shot four young men on a New York City Subway train in Manhattan after they allegedly tried to rob him.Goetz surrendered to police nine days later and was charged with attempted murder, assault, reckless endangerment, and several firearms offenses. Initially Goetz was viewed by most as a victim and by some as a vigilante, and he received widespread public recognition and support. A grand jury refused to indict Goetz on the more serious charges, voting indictments only for criminal gun possession. However, public opinion about Goetz wavered due to statements and alleged damaging details of the incident that later were released by the prosecution. Goetz was then re-indicted by a second grand jury on more serious charges. At a later jury trial he was found guilty of one count of carrying an unlicensed firearm, for which he served eight months of a one-year sentence. In 1996, Darrell Cabey, one of those Goetz shot and who was left paraplegic and brain damaged as a result of his injuries, obtained a civil judgment of $43 million against Goetz.The incident sparked a nationwide debate on crime in major US cities, the legal limits of self-defense based on Cabey being shot once or twice, and the extent to which the citizenry could rely on the police to secure their safety. Goetz, dubbed the "Subway Vigilante" by the New York press, came to symbolize New Yorkers' frustrations with the high crime rates of the 1980s. He was both praised and vilified in the media and public opinion. The incident has been cited as a contributing factor to the groundswell movement against urban crime and disorder, and successful National Rifle Association campaigns to loosen restrictions for concealed carrying of firearms.