Marine veteran Daniel Penny has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury on charges of second-degree manslaughter in relation to the accidental death of Jordan Neely, which occurred during a subway altercation in May.
Eyewitness testimonies recount a series of events leading up to the fatal incident, indicating Neely had been threatening to kill fellow passengers before Penny intervened. In an effort to subdue Neely, Penny employed a chokehold, ultimately resulting in Neely’s death. The incident has sparked accusations of racism from the left.
Neely’s family has revealed he was a homeless man grappling with mental illness and had a history of multiple arrests on various charges. Penny has vehemently asserted he never intended to cause harm to Neely when he put him in a chokehold to subdue him. In a video released on Sunday, he provided a firsthand account of the incident.
“The three main threats he repeated over and over were ‘I’m going to kill you,’’’I’m prepared to go to jail for life,’ and ‘I’m willing to die,’” Penny stated. “I didn’t see a black man threatening passengers. I saw a man threatening passengers.” Freelance journalist Juan Alberto Vazquez, who witnessed the altercation, corroborated much of Penny’s recollection.
According to Vazquez, Neely expressed desperation, claiming he had no access to food or drink, and that he was tired and indifferent to potential imprisonment. Vazquez stated, “He started screaming all these things, took off his jacket, a black jacket that he had, and threw it on the ground.”
Another witness, who chose to remain anonymous, commended Penny’s actions and chastised activists and politicians for levying accusations of racism. The witness shared Neely’s chilling statement, “I don’t care if I have to kill an F—er, I will. I’ll go to jail, I’ll take a bullet.”
The bystander emphasized the sense of helplessness experienced by those on the train, trapped between stations, fearing for their lives. Contrary to the accusations, this person described Penny as someone who genuinely cared for others, stating, “Mr. Penny cared for people. That’s what he did. That is his crime.”
Daniel Penny is a hero.pic.twitter.com/3EYtithrac
— Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) June 12, 2023
They went on to label him a hero in light of his actions during the incident. If convicted of second-degree manslaughter, Penny could face a maximum prison sentence of 15 years.
