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From: wildbill@ucbvax.ARPA (William J. Laubenheimer)
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Re: Goetz annoying after awhile....
Message-ID: <4293@ucbvax.ARPA>
Date: Mon, 21-Jan-85 18:29:41 EST
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.4293
Posted: Mon Jan 21 18:29:41 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 22-Jan-85 06:20:24 EST
References: <3279@alice.UUCP> <1168@teddy.UUCP> <318@cybvax0.UUCP>
Reply-To: wildbill@ucbvax.UUCP (William J. Laubenheimer)
Organization: University of California at Berkeley
Lines: 36
Keywords: Goetz
Summary: 

>NY Assistant District Attorney Susan Braver:
>"... alleges that Goetz pulled out his gun and shot two of the youths in
>the back as they moved away from him.  'Then he methodically fired at
>two others who fled in the opposite direction,' Braver alleged... 'By
>his admission, he intended to kill every one of them.'"
>Source:  Jan 4 Boston Globe.

>Mike Huybensz		...decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!cybvax0!mrh

Under the standards of the jungle law that seems to govern parts of the NYC area
these days, most groups of the sort encountered by Mr. Goetz regard an
attack on any of their members as an attack upon the entire group. Therefore,
Goetz, thinking that he had been placed in a situation where his life
was in jeopardy from this group or a member thereof, and choosing to meet
this threat by shooting a member of the group, at that time placed himself
in mortal jeopardy from all members of that group. In order to remove himself
from this position of mortal jeopardy, Goetz would have to arrest or
incapacitate every member of that group. Any member of that group left at
large would probably consider himself bound to attempt to kill Goetz in
order to satisfy group honor, probably making such attempt before Goetz
left the subway system.

Goetz, despite his superior armament, obviously felt himself outnumbered
by his younger opponents, and decided that the only way he could ensure
his safety was to shoot them all, regardless of the fact that they appeared
to be fleeing. If he had then turned the victims over to an appropriate
authority (NYC or transit police), the only question I would have about
the whole case is whether Goetz was justified in shooting in the first place.

Why did Goetz leave? I think he just got scared.

Glad I don't live in NYC,

                                        Bill Laubenheimer
----------------------------------------UC-Berkeley Computer Science
     ...Killjoy went that-a-way--->     ucbvax!wildbill