Bernie Goetz shot four Bronx teenagers on the subway in 1984 — and was celebrated as a national hero. New York was known as a dangerous place at the time. Locals who felt abandoned by police applauded Goetz for "taking the law into his own hands." Leon Neyfakh, host of Fiasco: Vigilante, investigates this era-defining story, exploring the paranoia of 1980s New York, the media culture that supported it, and its unsettling parallels to today.

For ad-free listening to Crime Story, subscribe to CBC's True Crime channel on Apple Podcasts.

Feedback for us? You can email us directly at [email protected].

You can find this episode's transcript here.