Of Subways and Squirrels
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In the mass-media age, news captivates us briefly, then vanishes. We revisit those stories to bring you the next chapter.
Starting Point
On Dec. 22, 1984, Manhattan electrical engineer Bernie Goetz opens fire on four black teens who hassle him for $5 on a city subway. All four are wounded, and one is left paralyzed.
Fever Pitch
Goetz is hailed as a hero "subway vigilante" by New Yorkers fed up with raging crime. He's acquitted of attempted murder and spends eight months in jail.
Present Day
In 1996, Goetz is found guilty in civil court of acting recklessly, and the teen he paralyzed is awarded $43 million—forcing Goetz into bankruptcy. In 2001, he runs unsuccessfully for mayor, then in 2005 for the city's public-advocate office. (He lost.) Now 60, Goetz is a vegetarian activist and operates a makeshift squirrel hospital out of his apartment. (Squirrels, he tells NEWSWEEK, are "sociable, playful, affectionate and loving.") As for the past, Goetz—and New York—have moved on. "It's inconceivable New York City crime would go back to the way it was," he says.
© 2008
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