A New York man who stepped in to save a woman from getting robbed has been arrested.
John Rote fired off a warning shot when he saw a homeless panhandler demand the woman give him $1 after she entered the subway platform through an emergency gate, not paying the fare. He then followed her and threatened to steal her purse.
Surveillance video showed Rote telling the would-be thief to “leave her alone,” pulling a firearm from a backpack and then popping off a warning shot towards the man’s feet before putting the weapon away and exiting the subway station.
The homeless panhandler is known to police, with the NYPD’s head of Transit Borough Manhattan calling him a “swiper” who regularly holds open the emergency gate in return for a tip.
Still, the city’s top transit official, Richard Davey, said Rote’s actions won’t be tolerated.
"I want to be clear: we don’t tolerate this kind of conduct in NYC Transit, period," he said. "Once again cameras recorded a perpetrator, and we are grateful the NYPD made an arrest within hours. Thank goodness nobody was hurt here – but what occurred was outrageous, reckless, and unacceptable."
His name is John Rote, 43 from Queens. No criminal history. No issues. He saved a woman from being attacked by a homeless man in the subway.
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) November 9, 2023
He’s now being charged by the Manhattan DA with Rote with criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of a firearm, reckless… pic.twitter.com/WRa24sNUco
And people wonder why people don’t step up to help fellow citizens. It’s hard to fight the government when they’re on the criminals side. https://t.co/mEDMgi8JD4
— Dude (@huip1) November 9, 2023
Avoid cities at all costs. You either are a victim or a survivor who is prosecuted. https://t.co/eu8KfVgs6W
— Dan Gainor (@dangainor) November 10, 2023