Is a man who uses his firearm to foil a crime a hero or a villain? According to New York City, people like John Rote, who saved a woman in a subway station by firing a warning shot to deter a robber demanding her purse, are vigilantes who deserve to be punished with potentially years in prison.
Matthew Roesch, a 49-year-old homeless man with a criminal record, demanded a woman pay him $1 for letting her through an emergency turnstile for free. When she refused, he threatened to snatch her purse.
John Rote, who appears to have lived in New York City for nearly two decades, saw the crime and didn’t hesitate to intervene on behalf of the woman.
“Get away from her!” Rote reportedly yelled before pulling his silver pistol — which he obtained legally 13 years ago, according to his attorney — out of his backpack and firing a shot near Roesch’s feet. After reportedly firing a second shot, Rote holstered his gun in his bag and exited the station after confirming that Roesch was deterred from bothering the woman. No injuries were reported.
The New York Police Department arrested and charged Rote on Tuesday night with criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of a firearm, reckless endangerment, and menacing. Prosecutors told the New York Post Rote faces three and a half years in prison if convicted.
Roesch also faced arrest and one charge of attempted robbery. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of
