Screenshots from video by Joshua Pyne, obtained by Gothamist
Oct. 10, 2017 By Nathaly Pesantez
A man whose racist tirade on the L train was taped and then went viral over the weekend said he is “getting help” and that he was “making a point” in his choice of words.
In the Oct. 7 video obtained by Gothamist, a man identified by the site as Paul Lawson is seen shouting on the L train that he’s a NYU-trained lawyer, and then jumping around and repeating the N-word after saying he had the “first amendment” right to do so, all the while holding a Lime-A-Rita.
Eventually, angered straphangers push Lawson out of the train once it pulled into Bedford Ave. A cup of yellow soup was pelted at him, and the sound of a glass bottle can be heard shattering as Lawson is on the floor.
Lawson took to Facebook this morning to write about the video and his actions, according to Gothamist, who took screenshots of his posts before they were removed.
“For all of you who saw that unfortunate video I’m getting help and really don’t know how it came up in the first place,” Lawson wrote in a status. “If it makes you feel any better I had my head broke open the next day so there’s that…”
A Facebook user criticized Lawson’s status and replied with a screenshot of a prior comment Lawson wrote where he defended his actions on the L train, writing that he “was making a point” in using the epithet. In the prior comment, Lawson once again invoked the “first amendment” and said “he’s not that sorry”, even though he feels “bad” for using the word.
A spokesperson for the NYPD said they do not have a complaint on file regarding the Oct. 7 incident.
A spokesperson for the New York University School of Law said no one by that name attended the law school. The school is working on determining if Lawson was a student at another NYU school.
Lawson did not immediately respond to a message sent via Facebook.
Update 5:26 p.m. 10/10 : Article updated with quote from NYU Law spokesperson.
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