A New York City man was arrested Wednesday after firing multiple shots in a Manhattan subway station.

John Rote, 43, of Astoria reportedly fired shots after he spotted an alleged panhandler demanding money from a woman.

“Authorities say Tuesday night inside the N-R-W subway station at West 49th and 7th Avenue, a panhandler had opened the emergency gate and threatened to steal the purse of a woman if she didn’t give him money,” FOX 5 reports.

“According to police, Rote told officers he was watching and pulled out a gun he was carrying and fired warning shots in an attempt to stop the mugging,” the outlet added.

Media outlets said no injuries were reported and police arrested the alleged panhandler.

FOX 5 reports:

71-year-old Hell’s Kitchen resident Percy Palmer is supportive of Rote’s alleged actions.

“I don’t think it was too much, though, because you don’t know what that person had that’s attacking that woman instead of asking her, may I have a dollar or something like that,” Palmer said.

No injuries were reported. After firing the shots, police say Rote took off and was eventually being taken into custody Wednesday.

Police also arrested the alleged panhandler whom they say is well known to them. He has been identified as 49-year-old Matthew Roesch.

Rote was taken into custody at his Manhattan job Wednesday around 2 p.m. after someone recognized him from the footage.

Collin Rugg writes:

New York man John Rote has been arrested after he saved a woman from getting robbed by a homeless man in a Manhattan subway station.

The current state of New York City.

On Tuesday evening, Rote noticed that a woman was getting robbed and immediately jumped into action. The man pulled out a gun and fired warning shots to stop the robbery.

The warning shots spooked the homeless man, saving the woman from getting robbed.

According to video footage, Rote noticed the woman getting mugged by 49 year old Matthew Roesch.

He then took off his backpack, reached inside, pulled out the gun and fired it off to scare off the attacker.

Rote then started getting closer and yelled at Roesch before firing the gun once more.

“I want to be clear: We don’t tolerate this kind of conduct in NYC Transit, period,” said city Transit President Richard Davey after Rote was arrested.

“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.”

In the video below, the top image is Rote firing off the shots. The bottom image is the homeless mugger.

According to the New York Post, Rote, who has no prior arrests, was charged with criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of a firearm, reckless endangerment, and menacing.

From the New York Post:

“I want to be clear: We don’t tolerate this kind of conduct in NYC Transit, period,” city Transit President Richard Davey said in a statement announcing Rote’s arrest.

“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.”

Roesch — who officials said is “known to police” — was arrested within minutes of the shooting, but the gunman was able to slip away.

He was charged with attempted robbery. His address is listed as a men’s shelter in Kips Bay.

Rote was only nabbed after police appealed to the public by releasing the footage and surveillance stills of the gunman.

An unnamed acquaintance recognized Rote and called the NYPD, sources said.

Join The Conversation. Leave a Comment.


We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.