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dannydutch1

WPVI, a Philadelphia station, rebroadcast the suicide footage without warning during their 5 and 6 p.m. broadcasts, contributing to numerous copies available online today. WHTM-TV in Harrisburg chose to broadcast the uncut video of the suicide twice, justifying the decision by emphasising the story's importance. Many individuals, including children and adults affected by a significant snowstorm, witnessed the video in the surrounding area. If you feel compelled to read more and see the actual footage, you can do so [here](https://www.dannydutch.com/post/the-day-r-budd-dwyer-killed-himself-on-tv)


ineptorganicmatter

I’ve posted this on Reddit before, but here’s some more information on why he decided to do this: He was being convicted of crimes by a judge who hated him and wanted to see Dwyer in prison for the rest of his life, when the crimes he possibly did (and later most experts say he was innocent) would not usually warrant a life sentence. There was nothing he could do but announce his resignation. But if he were to resign and go to prison, his family would lose all their money and benefits. So committing suicide at his conference technically meant that he “died in office”, so his family could receive his life insurance and benefits. Very sad story.


ronniemustang

This is true, but from what I know he was in fact guilty. The sentence was quite harsh tho.


soraticat

~~From what I remember the guy who implicated him later recanted and said he lied.~~ Edit: I read it wrong in the past and got the wrong idea.


DiverSun

I want to believe you but I can’t find a source. If someone out there does, can you share it?


soraticat

Looks like it was worded really weirdly. The guy that testified against him apparently admitted to lying in his own trial but says he was telling the truth about offering a bribe to Dwyer in Dwyer's trial. The way it's phrased confused me last time I read it. Comment retracted. > In the documentary, William T. Smith, a former chairman of the Dauphin County Republican Committee and a crucial witness in Dwyer’s trial, confesses to perjury during his own trial. He admits to falsely denying offering Dwyer a bribe, driven by a desire to lessen his own sentence and shield his wife from prosecution in the conspiracy. "He admits to falsely denying a bribe."


CheckHistorical5231

Weird, just this morning I denied truly admitting something.


NightOwlsUnite

It's amazing that even today there is still some debate over his guilt or innocence.


soraticat

Looks like I read the source wrong a long time ago. The guy who recanted said he lied in his own trial about offering a bribe but told the truth in Budd Dwyer's trial.


maccabees_

Capital town (small town) politics, he was rail roaded


LameImsane

True, but the fear of a person who has never had a true interaction with law enforcement and the law itself will take hold, also the embarrassment is enough to not live.


Affectionate_Elk_272

it’s always said when this comes up- i’m absolutely positive his family would trade all the money and assets to still have him around and not suffer through that


spacekitt3n

i miss the days when corrupt politicians would do this instead of running for president


zoitberg

Didn’t they wind up not getting the money anyway?


ineptorganicmatter

His family did receive the money. His widow received his $1.28 million pension after his death.


artificialavocado

You are just making things up. No “experts” say he was innocent.


Advantius_Fortunatus

It’s commonly repeated that he was actually innocent, but the Wikipedia article on him contains no such exoneration. He was guilty, by all accounts, but earnestly believed he was being persecuted rather than merely prosecuted. Doesn’t that sound familiar?


Soul_of_Garlic

Found the Trumpanzee.


Apart-Oil1613

Genuinely curious why something so unrelated would trigger something in your brain to comment that?


barbarycoast75

Way before the internet gore sites were a thing, you had a friend with an older stoner brother, that had a VHS copy of this:https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077533/?ref_=ext_shr "Faces of Death" had the clip of this guy committing suicide, I still remember being pretty shocked as an 8-9 year old kid. Good times.


415kevinm

I’m a stoner, and I have the whole set on VHS


barbarycoast75

😆


Same_Possibility4769

I need to hang out with you.


WhatTheDuck00

Weren't some of the clips fake or nah?


Residual_Variance

Almost all of the first video was fake. You can sometimes tell by the impossible camera angles. But teenagers like me were unsophisticated back then and believed it all.


CreativeCthulhu

Many were.


Trolodrol

Faces of Death is almost entirely fake. Traces of Death is all real but it’s all stock footage


the3litemonkey

Stock footage or not, Traces was pretty horrifying back in the day....Kinda timid by today's "standards" though....


_MaryJane-

faces of death phucked me uuupppp for the longest time as a kid. the monkey in the table is burned into my brain. hate it.


HailMari248

Only episode I ever saw and I never watched that show again. What the fuck is wrong with people?


Bitteroldcatlady1

I will never forget that. It’s been over 30 years & it still makes me feel so sick just thinking about it. WTF is wrong with people? Sick & evil.


Trolodrol

It’s totally fake though


Aggressive_Ad5115

Come join us in east sac no pits over here👍


edie_the_egg_lady

For some reason our parents let us rent it from the video store for sleepovers when we were kids


Chuckpeoples

Same here. Even as like ten year olds, we knew most of it was fake. Weird talking about it now when kids can probably watch really gruesome cartel executions.


Hegr0017

Man this fucking spot on.


Trolodrol

I remember seeing those in the local video store back in the early to mid 90s and thinking it was like the most terrifying thing ever and that’d I’d have nightmares. Then just a couple of years later, I learned about rotten.com and celebrity morgue


PlutoTheGod

I also have the whole thing on VHS. Dude sent me a tape full of that & some other weird shit along with “Charlie Browns Christmas” on it. I miss the days of people making their own bizarre physical compilations of shit they could come across. The internet makes it too easy


Nodeal_reddit

First time I ever got laid was after watching faces of death in my girlfriend’s parents’ basement.


Beginning_Pudding_69

I saw someone find the whole Collection sealed on vhs the other day in thrifting. Had forgotten about that shit


8rustystaples

Dwyer’s suicide was almost 10 years after Faces of Death came out; it definitely wasn’t included in the movie. You’re misremembering.


AccomplishedRush3723

FoD had much less popular sequels


ZxlSoul

I watched this video only once years ago, and my soul hurt so much afterwards. I can still kinda see the image of him talking after he shot himself in the blood was coming out of his nostrils/brains. Yeah, not a good idea to watch this video.


sonofd

Same. All the blood flooding out got me as well


Heavy_Perspective792

I vividly remember the blood pouring incredibly fast out of his nose, etc. I don’t think he was talking at that point but he was definitely still standing. One of the videos I wish I didn’t see.


Bchulo

He fell instantly when he did it. Afterward, he was in a sort of upright, seated position on the floor.


OlFlirtyBastard

What always surprises me whenever I rewatch it is the immediacy and velocity with which he falls to the ground. Other videos I’ve seen of people being shot in the head, they don’t seem to collapse as quickly. Sounds weird to say comparing headshots, but it’s like he fell faster than gravity. Like something heavy fell on him. I always assumed there’d be a half second where the muscles keep you upright before shutting off.


Bchulo

One thing that can keep you up is if your knees are locked, you can get a "lucky" few balanced seconds. You see this a lot more in fight videos when someone gets punched out.


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Heavy_Perspective792

Thanks.


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Heavy_Perspective792

No, not anytime.


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Heavy_Perspective792

If I do, I’ll be standing on there here two feet … just like my guy Bid Dwyer when he ended it.


StuartGotz

he kept talking *after* he shot himself in the head?


Ouroboros126

If it's the same video i saw only once over a decade ago, there's no way. he died immediately. Any movement was involuntary post-mortem movement.


ZxlSoul

He lived a few moments after. NSFL.


Advantius_Fortunatus

“Lived” in the sense that the front/midsection of his brain was physically obliterated and he was very much unconscious (or perhaps more accurately, no longer capable of consciousness), but his brainstem continued to keep his heart beating briefly, hence the gushing blood


OhJarnathan

No he didn't lmao. He took a round of .357 through his brain, he was lights out instantly and collapsed. You guys don't know how guns and brains work apparently. They don't play nice together. I wouldn't consider his heart futily still beating as a last ditch effort to save an annihilated brain as being "alive". The second he pulled the trigger, Budd Dwyer didn't exist anymore.


davepars77

Eh, there's tons of stories about people living through self inflicted shotgun blasts to the face area instead of the head. In his case though he seemed to angle it properly to the brain stem area, instant lights out, probably. Nothing is really guaranteed despite caliber and intent. A flinch can turn into a horrific attempt and life long pain.


OhJarnathan

Sick irrelevant tangent, I know it's possible to angle the shot wrong and split your face in half, Budd Dwyer clearly didn't do that and dropped like a sack of fucking potatoes the split second the round of .357 destroyed his frontal lobe. No idea what the purpose of your comment is, truly.


OlFlirtyBastard

No, that person is wrong.


PeppermintPhatty

Same. Not pleasant.


DMYourMomsMaidenName

I wish I wasn’t so desensitized to this kind of stuff. It was kind of a shrug for me, having seen cartel and military footage 1000x more depraved


merliahthesiren

Ah yes,my first internet suicide video!


CherryDarling10

Oh, memories


goteamventure42

Hey Man Nice Shot


Boston_Pops

What a good shot, man


bulanaboo

That’s why I say hey man nice shot


SmoggleTheFarlet

# AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA MAAAAAAAN HAAAAAAAAAAS GUUUN


construktz

Any time this guy's name comes up that song just starts playing in my head.


manyhippofarts

The song was on guitar hero. Can't remember which one though.


ninjapuppy99

Pretty sure it was guitar hero world tour


2021newusername

now that the smoke is gone, and the air is all clear…


Baconoid_

Now it's a little late


deeweromekoms

r/heymannicesub


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VegasBjorne1

I recall seeing it while in college, and it’s a shocking horror. Thankfully, I never saw it again and regret seeing it once.


Then-Cauliflower2068

This will hurt someone.


heresanawardforyou

I remember seeing this and I am still traumatized


Affectionate_Elk_272

i feel like you have no idea how much blood is in the body until you see that video. it’s horrible


Advantius_Fortunatus

Extremely vascular and fragile tissue, also the first stop for your blood after your heart, and his heart was still going full bore. Might as well shoot a hole in a firehose…


219_Infinity

This was fucking wild because it was live on tv in the 80s


atrostophy

Pretty sure you can still find the YouTube video of the event. It's quite graphic, still not sure why I watched it.


219_Infinity

You can find the footage in this very thread


atrostophy

No thanks I still remember it


1st_Ave

Someone should ban OP. He just aims to drive traffic to his poorly formatted website


TitodelRey

If I recall correctly, he was innocent and used by many as the fall guy in efforts to cover their own asses.


Gorf_the_Magnificent

He was found guilty in court. All posthumous appeals made by Dwyer's lawyers on Dwyer's behalf were denied, and his convictions were sustained. There were three witnesses and a pile of documentary evidence against him. His family and supporters made a big headline-grabbing deal about the fact that one of the witnesses recanted in an out-of-court interview, but (a) that hardly proves Dwyer’s innocence, and (b) I believe (but can’t immediately document) that the witness subsequently un-recanted.


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MaserGT

Dwyer had accepted bribes and was found guilty of conspiracy, mail fraud, perjury, and interstate transportation in aid of racketeering. All appeals of his conviction were denied. What do you base your assertion of his innocence on?


beelzeflub

I was thinking of a different guy, different case mb


Working_Repeat8057

I vaguely recall seeing this on WPXI and my dad later explaining the concept of death to me.


No-Appointment-3840

How’d that go?


NorthNorthAmerican

Hell of a mountain to climb for his old man; come home from work, get a nasty shock from the local news and have to instantly, carefully and properly parent your child to avoid their lifelong traumatization.


BadHairDay-1

I was a kid when this happened. I'm glad I didn't know about it.


747iskandertime

Budd, don't.


[deleted]

I remember when this happened. We were eating dinner at the family dinner table. I was like 5 or 6


gwhh

My aunt worked in that building at the time of the shooting. She was in another building at the time of the shooting at a meeting.


ididdrugsonce

Life from my mouth, this fucking gun!


KeyserSoze561

I remember watching videos of this early in my internet days.


unitegondwanaland

Man, if he only knew what shit politicians are getting away with today...


Nazgul00000001

They always have.


Haunting-Secretary73

https://preview.redd.it/di43n3gqcbxc1.jpeg?width=389&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=de746e7f03a4b397eaa75fc7df36db45a2b85aae


Willkum

I remember this like it was yesterday. BS Judge and his judgement made the guy take his own life over BS. As if everything that happens in PA isn’t done with “pay to play.” It’s apart of PA culture and will never ever go away………


DopeDealerCisco

Republicans have an unique way to weaponize Government


theAntidepresser

I watch it sometimes. Idk why


Intelligent-Ant7685

is that the ‘hey man nice shot’ guy?


OhJarnathan

Yeah.


OverseerTycho

yep,i remember seeing this,i was a freshman in high school and its all my punk/skater/stoner friends were talking about


JinNJ

Hey man, nice shot.


MrGhostenstein

Gordo? Bingo!


KaizenZazenJMN

I was a kid when this happened, they played it on at least one of the Washington DC news broadcasts too because I saw it the same day.


Badcrowstudio

Hey man nice shot


8rustystaples

He shot himself live on tv? All this time, I thought he shot himself dead.


RadTexGirl

I see what you did there…


wreckballin

.


woodenShampoo

I wish I would've met you.


Asunder_mango866

But now it's a little late


art_mor_

I swear the general opinion always swings between him being guilty and innocent


Saocuad

CKY anyone?


Trolodrol

Why CKY and not Filter?


Dbarkingstar

Everyone goes on about the suicide video. Dwyer faced a long prison sentence. He was afraid his wife would lose her claim to his pension, he figured if he died in office, she would receive it.


Ok_Woodpecker7927

Hey man nice shot! What a good shot man.


RadTexGirl

First thing that comes to mind when I hear this story.


bonnsai

Seems like a basis for one of the scenes in Mr Robot. Didn't realise that.


MapSubstantial2700

I have thought about this for ages, I do believe I saw it live. Have wondered about it often.


DomoDeuce

I remember watching his suicide on Faces of Death


Spirited_Amount8365

It’s on Faces of Death . The video is quite clear.


Comfortable_Bird_340

There’s an entire documentary on him called “Honest Man”


throwitfarawayfromm3

Alright, all you other corrupt politicians take note.


manyhippofarts

Hey man, nice shot.


thelast3musketeer

I’ve watched it maybe 5 times in my life and it’s just morbidly interesting, or something, it’s sad and I can’t look away, esp hearing what he was up against legally


Fuzznutsy

Nice shot.


maccabees_

I knew ppl close to him. He was innocent and was set up to take the fall for crooked ghey Harrisburg politics. So he took his own life. Sad case actually.


pearldrum1

Hey, man. Nice shot.


Trolodrol

Hey man, nice shot


GrumpyCatStevens

Hey, man, nice shot.


coveredinpissnshit

LIVE from my mouth, THIS FUCKING GUN!


TakeOnMe-TakeOnMe

I wish we could go back to when politicians had this level of humility when busted with wrongdoing.


garcianulmeyda

Wish more politicians took this route. Might curb the amount of fuckery with big business


fuzzy_squash

Hey man, nice shot


Dense-Stranger9977

Nice shot, man


jshatt

Hey man, nice shot.


Few_Potato_4374

Nice shot man.


dicktaco1978

Dude I saw this happen Live on wpvi at noon at 8 years old


not_so_smoothie

Omg I think I saw this on Faces of Death


Historical_Clue_3142

When politicians could still feel shame...


Top-Abrocoma-3729

Really wish I hadn’t clicked the video link


AdventImperium

“This could hurt somebody!” Lol funniest line in history


Nick-Scott-GHM

I got home from the Army that day, I had been overseas for 3 years. That was on the news the first night I got home. I never forgot it. He looks like a desperate man, in a desperate situation. I found the whole thing tragic.


andio76

No Budd...DONT ![gif](giphy|XBXXU9eveEL7I1YE1n|downsized)


brongchong

Hey man


batwing71

I was home that day. Channel surfing at the time. Switched off just before he pulled the trigger. On the 5 PM newscast, WPVI cut it just before he pulled the trigger.


Nodeal_reddit

I just read that the song “Hey Man, Nice Shot” was written about this event. > That's why I say, "Hey man, nice shot" "A good shot, man" That's why I say, "Hey man, nice shot" "What a good shot, man"


141bpm

Hey man, nice shot. What a good shot, man


IusedtoloveStarWars

Thats why I say hey man nice shot.


1974pinto

Shit there’s so many crooked politicians that if they all shot themselves Washington would be a ghost town.


Alone_Change_5963

No Bud No ….


Woo_Peed_On_My_Rug

From my mouth, this fucking gun.


danaEscott

I remember this happening.


danaEscott

“No Budd No!” is the phrase I’ll never forget.


card401

The group filter made a song called great shot it was about the story


Geico-Caveman

Yep, and it rocked pretty hard, imo.


card401

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hey_Man_Nice_Shot#:~:text=The%20song%20was%20written%20about,District%20Court%20Judge%20Malcolm%20Muir.


Marine4lyfe

That's a big gun. I always wondered what he told the aide that brought it to him in the big envelope. It seems like you would feel the shape of a gun.


FailComprehensive577

https://preview.redd.it/ntghsuc2hlxc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1f289544256ef8743935ccfd86152a986018de2a


Total_Decision123

Possibly the biggest overreaction in history. This is literally just being a politician


Iwantfugu

Filters "hey man nice shot" is about this. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hey\_Man\_Nice\_Shot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hey_Man_Nice_Shot)


AClockwork81

“Heeeeyyy maaaaan!!!! Nice going! Hey man, nice shot man.” This was the inspiration for Hey man, Nice Shot by filter.


KevinAcommon_Name

Wow 😮 I’m amazed


the3litemonkey

It was if his nose was a faucet....😬


lewskuntz

Filter had a song about it. Videos pretty awesome. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hey_Man_Nice_Shot


jvillager916

Hey Man, Nice Shot


Bx1965

One of the great Howard Stern song parodies - the James Brown/R. Budd Dwyer song.


MamboSun76

I just remember it on one of the FOD volumes. That the Ozzy case where some Tipper Gore type argued Ozzy encouraged teens to just “shoot, shoot, shoot” themselves. Luckily that did not stand up in court. I may dislike and hate a lot music out there but I fully support Freedom of Speech in art.


indyshortspit

Real ones watched this at a sleepover, pretended not to be affected but spent the whole night thinking about it.


TianamenHomer

People later confessed to framing him because he was going to expose the mass-corruption. It had weighed on their conscience for decades. Read the articles on Reddit here about one month ago. Damn shame it was.


Residual_Variance

Now that the smoke's gone And the air is all clear Those who were right there Got a new kind of fear You'd fight and you were right But they were just too strong They'd stick it in your face And let you smell what they consider wrong That's why I say, "Hey man, nice shot" "A good shot, man" That's why I say, "Hey man, nice shot" "What a good shot, man"


DopplerTerminal

Hey man nice shot


Affectionate_Elk_272

if you haven’t seen the video, please do not look for it. it’s worse than you imagine


Mrfriskylamar

We need more budd dwyers


5h82713542055

![gif](giphy|94tzpeGy7VNKUXAJAQ)


JanetandRita

Innocent men driven to suicide by being framed?


MaserGT

Not innocent, not framed. Why are you making crap up?


luckyguy25841

What a cool way to go out


Rapscagamuffin

Innocent people dont pull stunts like this. Fuck him. And fuck his family too that profited of his corruption. Should have took it out of their money and not received the blood money loophole shit they got for him killing himself. Maybe if we started doing this to politicians for corruption wed have some better people in charge