Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Ex-Marine charged with New York subway chokehold death of Jordan Neely

Ex-Marine charged with New York subway chokehold death of Jordan Neely

A former US Marine who placed a passenger in a fatal chokehold on the New York subway has appeared in court to be charged with manslaughter.

Daniel Penny, 24, is accused of causing the death of 30-year-old Jordan Neely on 1 May. He did not enter a plea.

His lawyers said he could not have known his actions to subdue Mr Neely would lead to his death.

Mr Neely, who was homeless, was pinned to the ground and restrained for several minutes on the train carriage.

He had been shouting at other passengers and asking for money, witnesses said.

Mr Neely was later found unconscious in the carriage and taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead. His death resulted from compression of the neck, the city's medical examiner ruled.

Hands cuffed behind his back, Mr Penny appeared at Manhattan Criminal Court on Friday to be formally charged and was later released on $100,000 (£80,000) in cash bail.

He must return to court on 17 July or a warrant will be issued for his arrest, the judge said. He must also turn over his passport and seek permission to cross state lines.

On the day Mr Neely died, Mr Penny was questioned by police and then released.

But footage of the altercation on a northbound F train set off protests, and the Manhattan district attorney's office launched an investigation.

The video, captured by a freelance journalist on the train, shows the former Marine holding Mr Neely around the neck for two minutes and 55 seconds.

The journalist who filmed it, Juan Alberto Vazquez, told the New York Times that Mr Neely had shouted at passengers but did not attack anyone.

He recalled Mr Neely saying "I don't mind going to jail and getting life in prison" before he was restrained.

Jordan Neely in New York


On Friday morning, Mr Penny arrived in a black SUV at a police station in Manhattan to surrender to authorities. Wearing a black suit and white shirt, he did not speak or answer any questions from reporters gathered outside.

His lawyer, Thomas Kenniff, said his client has "his head held up high" and had willingly surrendered "with the sort of dignity and integrity that is characteristic of his history of service to this grateful nation".

Mr Penny "risked his own life and safety, for the good of his fellow passengers", Mr Kenniff added, expressing confidence he would be "fully absolved of any wrongdoing".

He faces a count of second-degree manslaughter and up to 15 years in jail if convicted.

According to New York law, that charge will require a jury to find that Mr Penny engaged in reckless conduct that created an unjustifiable risk of death.

"The investigation thus far has included numerous witness interviews, careful review of photo and video footage, and discussions with the Medical Examiner's Office," said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg in a statement.

"As this case proceeds, we will be constrained from speaking outside the courtroom to ensure this remains a fair and impartial matter,"

New York defence attorney Jeffrey Lichtman told the BBC he thought prosecutors would fail meet this standard, and show Mr Penny knew his actions would kill.

"If litigated properly this is a slam dunk acquittal," he said, calling Mr Penny a "sympathetic defendant".

Video of the subway altercation sparked protests


In a statement released a few days after Mr Neely's death, Mr Penny's lawyers said their client had "never intended to harm Mr Neely and could not have foreseen his untimely death".

Mr Penny spent four years in the Marines, rising to the rank of sergeant before being honourably discharged in June 2021, according to his lawyers. He is now enrolled in a full-time bachelor's college degree studying architecture.

Across the street from the court, a small memorial dedicated to Mr Neely has been assembled with signs urging officials to prosecute Mr Penny.

In a statement earlier this week, Mr Neely's family said that Mr Penny needed to be in prison. "The family wants you to know that Jordan matters," they said.

Mr Neely was a Michael Jackson impersonator who frequently performed in Times Square. "He sang, he danced, he entertained," a lawyer for the family said.

His mother, Christie Neely, was murdered in 2007 by her boyfriend, who was sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2012, according to the Jersey Journal.

Following his mother's death, Mr Neely began experiencing mental health issues, said Donte Mills, a lawyer for the Neely family.

"He had demons. He went through tragedy at a very young age," Mr Mills said. "And then his mother was taken from him and her body was dumped in a suitcase on a highway, and it changed Jordan's mentality forever."

Mr Neely had 42 arrests on charges such as evading fares, theft and assaults on three women, according to US media reports. He had recently pleaded guilty to assaulting a 67-year-old woman leaving a subway station in 2021.

Mr Mills addressed the arrests on Friday, saying that Mr Penny "did not know Jordan Neely before this incident. He did not know how many times he had been arrested."

"So that's a non-factor," he added.

Mayor Eric Adams has said the case highlights the need to improve the mental health system so that it can better protect people like Mr Neely.

Mr Adams and New York state Governor Kathy Hochul have increased the presence of police to address rising crime on the city's subway.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
Head of Gaza Aid Group Resigns Amid Humanitarian Concerns
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Denmark Increases Retirement Age to 70, Setting a European Precedent
Iranian Director Jafar Panahi Wins Palme d'Or at Cannes
Israeli Airstrike Kills Nine Children of Gaza Doctor
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki Erupts Again, Spewing Ash Cloud over Flores Island
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
Senate Democrats Move to Censure Trump Over Qatar Jet Gift
Hamas Releases Last Living US Hostage from Gaza Amid Ongoing Conflict
×