In 1984, a shooting on a New York City subway thrust Bernie Goetz into the center of the national spotlight. After opening fire on four Black teenagers he said were trying to rob him, Goetz was hailed by some as a vigilante hero and condemned by others as a symbol of racial violence. PBS News Hour's Geoff Bennett spoke with Elliot Williams, who revisits the shooting in his new book, "Five Bullets." | PBS NewsHour

On December 22, 1984 Bernhard Goetz, aka "The Subway Vigilante," took the law into his own hands when he fired a gun on four teens riding the Manhattan subway. For more NBC News flashbacks visit: http://www.nbcnews.com/feature/flashback | NBC News