compiled by Patrick H. Moore
Vigilantes are weird creatures who somehow believe that they have the right to take the law into their own hands for the betterment or protection of society. In many instances, they no doubt have the best of intentions. Nonetheless, they are sometimes unstable and may have a tendency to go too far when performing their self-styled “heroic deeds”. Here, for your entertainment, we bring you brief thumbnails of ten well-known vigilantes — some of whom, like George Zimmerman and Gary Faulkner, thought they were helping society. Others, such as Bernhard Goetz were most likely simply trying to protect themselves from perceived harm. And then there is Jack Ruby who apparently took the law into his own hands and shot and killed Lee Harvey Oswald simply because he wanted to protect Jackie O from having to testify at a trail. So without further ado:
George Zimmerman
We start with (who else?) Big George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch volunteer in Sanford, Fla., who shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, who was unarmed and visiting his father’s fiancee’s home. Zimmerman called police shortly before the incident and said, “We’ve had some break-ins in my neighborhood, and there’s a real suspicious guy.” Then, depending on who you believe, he either confronted Trayvon Martin and killed him in a scuffle, or was confronted by Trayvon Martin and killed him in a scuffle. The killing brought attention to the so-called “stand your ground laws.” As the whole world knows, in a controversial decision that polarized the nation, Zimmerman was acquitted of all charges by a jury of his peers
Chris Simcox
Chris Simcox, 52, is the American co-founder of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps (MCDC) and the project’s main spokesperson. He was formerly a kindergarten teacher at the Wildwood School in Los Angeles, California, where he taught for thirteen years.
In October 2002, Simcox issued a public call to arms, inviting readers of his newspaper, the Tombstone Tumbleweed, to join a “Citizens Border Patrol Militia” whose function, Simcox said, would be to “shame the government into doing its job” of controlling the United States’s border with Mexico.
He founded Civil Homeland Defense, a group which patrolled the border, and within the next two and a half years sought to assist the United States Border Patrol.
Simcox’s practice of reporting illegal immigrants attempting to enter the country has been controversial, and questions concerning its legality have been raised. When the Civil Homeland Defense was first formed, Simcox’s opponents claimed that it is illegal for a normal citizen who is in no way affiliated with law enforcement to detain people in the United States. Simcox claimed at that time that these detentions were justified under a “citizen’s arrest” policy. Since the inception of the MCDC, however, their “Standard Operating Procedure” (SOP) states that “Minutemen Observe, Report, Record, and Direct Border Patrol or other appropriate emergency or law enforcement agencies to suspected Illegal Aliens or Illegal Activities.”
Gary Faulkner
Faulkner, known as the “Rocky Mountain Rambo,” is a construction worker and an ex-con. In fact, he spent 11 years in prison in the late 1980s and early 1990s on two separate larceny and burglary charges. During the years after 9/11, fired by patriotic fervor, he decided to personally capture Osama Bin Laden and traveled to Pakistan to do so. Faulkner was arrested in a forest in northwestern Pakistan in 2010 while trying to cross into Afghanistan’s Nuristan province, “a known lair of Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters,” according to Time magazine. At first the cops thought he was joking about about hunting Bin Laden, but then upon searching Faulkner, they found a pistol, a 40-inch sword, a dagger, a pair of handcuffs, a small chunk of hashish, and Christian literature. Faulker was ultimately released and returned to the States where he has since managed to get into more trouble. I guess some people never learn.
Bernhard Goetz
Goetz is known as the “subway vigilante” for shooting four black teenagers in 1984. He claimed the teens accosted him, and was charged with attempted murder, but convicted of possession of an illegal firearm, serving eight months in jail. His actions made him a folk hero of sorts and entertainer. Joan Rivers, sent Goetz a telegram of “love and kisses” and said she would help out with his bail money. T-shirts were also made celebrating Goetz’s actions.
There’s no doubt the conditions on the New York subways were terrible back in the early 1980s, but it has never been, and probably never will be, entirely clear whether Goetz’s actions were justified.
Jack Ruby
Jack Ruby, originally known as Jacob Rubenstein, was a player in the Dallas area. He operated strip joints and dance halls and reportedly had minor connections to organized crime. On Nov. 24, 1963, Lee Harvey Oswald, the man accused of killing President John F. Kennedy, was brought to the basement of the Dallas police headquarters. As Oswald came into the room, Ruby emerged from the crowd and shot and killed Oswald.
When Ruby was arrested immediately after the shooting, he told several witnesses that he helped the city of Dallas “redeem” itself in the eyes of the public, and that Oswald’s death would spare “…Mrs. Kennedy the discomfiture of coming back to trial.” At the time of the shooting Ruby said he was taking phenmetrazine, a central nervous system stimulant.
Ruby’s explanation for killing Oswald would be “exposed … as a fabricated legal ploy”, according to the House Select Committee on Assassinations. In a private note to one of his attorneys, Joseph Tonahill, Ruby wrote: “Joe, you should know this. My first lawyer Tom Howard told me to say that I shot Oswald so that Caroline and Mrs. Kennedy wouldn’t have to come to Dallas to testify. OK?”
Another motive was put forth by Frank Sheeran, allegedly a hitman for the Mafia, in a conversation he had with the then-former Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa. During the conversation, Hoffa claimed that Ruby was assigned the task of coordinating police officers who were loyal to Ruby to murder Oswald while he was in their custody. As Ruby evidently mismanaged the operation, he was given a choice to either finish the job himself or forfeit his life.
So where does this leave us? No closer to the truth than we were before. All we know for sure is that Jack Ruby shot and killed Lee Harvery Oswald but we do not know why.
Curtis Sliwa
In May 1977, Curtis Sliwa created the “Magnificent 13,” a group dedicated to combating violence and crime on the New York City subways. At the time, the city was experiencing a crime wave. The Magnificent 13 grew and was renamed the Guardian Angels in 1979. The group’s actions drew strong reactions, both positive and negative, from the police, public officials, residents and the media. Throughout the early 1980s, the group’s distinctive uniform, a military type red beret and white insignia t-shirt, became recognizable as the group grew and courted media attention.
In the early 1980s, Sliwa became active in Buffalo, New York and was often critical of local police policies and practices. Sliwa continues to act as the President of the organization and oversees its worldwide operations. His wife Mary was Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer. He frequently visits chapters throughout the world and graduates new chapters. As of 2011, Sliwa states that the Guardian Angels operate in nine countries and 82 cities around the world, with approximately 5,000 members. Sliwa went on to become a populist conservative radio talk show host.
Sliwa admitted that he had fabricated several of the Angels’ exploits, including a false allegation that he had been kidnapped in 1980 by off-duty transit officers. As well as admitting to “faking several kidnapping attempts on himself to make himself seem more valuable to the public” he said in later statements.
On June 19, 1992, Sliwa was kidnapped and shot by two gunmen after entering a stolen taxi in Manhattan. The taxi picked up Sliwa near his home in the East Village and a gunman hiding in the front passenger seat jumped up and fired several shots, hitting him in the groin and legs. The kidnapping was apparently foiled when Sliwa leapt from the front window of the moving cab and escaped. Sliwa underwent surgery for internal injuries and leg wounds.
William Inmom
In 2009, William Inmom confessed to the vigilante killings of 3 people, and revealed that he had plans to kill more. His rationalization is tht he targeted these men for their moral or legal offenses.
Inmon claims he first shot 72-year-old William “Stoney” McCarragher in an execution-style slaying at McCarragher’s home in 2007. The older man was known as a crusty old codger around town, a guy who hired teenagers to do odd jobs. But Inmon says he shot him through a window, then went in to finish him off, after McCarragher made a pass at him.
His next victim was 60-year-old Daniel Achten. Inmon says he shot the Vietnam veteran because he killed Inmon’s dog and used drugs. Inmon then burned and buried him in a shallow grave on Achten’s own property.
Finally, Inmon also confessed to murdering 16-year-old Ricky Flores. Inmon told police that he killed Flores because he wouldn’t get off drugs. Flores apparently had a baby with his girlfriend, and the parents of the girl weren’t happy that she was seeing him. The girl’s father Jeffrey Johnson was charged with soliciting the murder.
Inmon told police that he had plans to kill two more people — one of whom was a drug dealer — and said would have continued killing if he hadn’t been caught. To save himself from the death penalty, he pleaded guilty and cooperated with the investigation.
Robert Canoles and Branden Canoles
Robert Canoles and his son, 18-year-old Branden Canoles were charged with aggravated assault, criminal tresspassing, and unlawful imprisonment for detaining Jean-Joseph and Angelica Kalonji at gunpoint on April 19 2012 in Newtown County, Georgia. The Canoles thought that the Kolanjis were robbing a nearby house, when the Kalonjis were in fact the rightful owners and were merely changing their door locks.
Initially NCSO deputies arrested the Kalonjis and charged them with loitering and prowling. Counter-complaints were lodged by the Kalonjis and after questioning the NCSO dropped charges against them and arrested the Canoles, father and son.
Although a rather thorough investigation ensued, the Canoles and the Kalonji families have buried the hatchet and are believed to have made plans to go fishing together.
“We just want to clear up any misunderstanding. We’re not the people portrayed by the media. It was a big misunderstanding,” Robert Canoles said.
Jean Joseph Kalonji assured the Canoles that he was not mad and said he would “always be your neighbor” and that he would pursue “peace and a good life between neighbors.” He did acknowledge, however, that it would be up to the authorities to decide on how to resolve the criminal case against Robert and Branden Canoles.
Bruce Lawrence May
And now we come to a vigilante with little, if any, reasonable rationale for his criminal actions. Bruce Lawrence May was convicted in June 2012 of reckless endangerment and malicious destruction of property, for slinging glass marbles at a speed camera in Ellicott City, Md.
I guess we can assume that Mr. May does not like speed cameras.