FIRST OFF . . .

A lawyer for New York subway gunman Bernhard Goetz says he’ll try to stop distribution of a home video chronicling Goetz’s story. MPI Home Video of Oak Forest, a Chicago suburb, is making “Inside Goetz,” a 60-minute documentary with news footage and portions of the videotaped confession Goetz gave New Hampshire police after his arrest. “Nobody consulted Bernhard Goetz about this,” said attorney Barry Slotnick. “It’s not right. No company, video or otherwise, can profit from someone else’s image and someone else’s life.” However, MPI sales vice president Jaffer Ali defended his company’s decision: “We are a news-video company doing a documentary on the Goetz case. We don’t need Goetz’s permission.” In December, 1984, Goetz wounded four youths on a subway, saying he believed they intended to rob him. He was found innocent of assault and attempted murder, but was convicted of illegal possession of a revolver. MPI Home Video also distributed a video of Lt. Col. Oliver L. North’s testimony at the Iran- contra hearings.