NYC murder suspect issues statement on Jordan Neely’s death.

Marine Corps. Veteran Responds to Viral Video

Protecting Himself and Others

Daniel Penny, a 24-year-old college student and Marine Corps. veteran, released a statement through his attorneys on Friday in response to a video that went viral this week. The video showed him placing Jordan Neely in a chokehold on a New York City subway, which later resulted in Neely’s death.

The statement, released by the law firm of Raiser and Kenniff, P.C., expressed condolences to those close to Mr. Neely. It also shed light on the fact that Mr. Neely had a documented history of violent and erratic behavior, the apparent result of ongoing and untreated mental illness. When Mr. Neely began aggressively threatening Daniel Penny and the other passengers, Daniel, with the help of others, acted to protect themselves until help arrived. Daniel never intended to harm Mr. Neely and could not have foreseen his untimely death.

For too long, those suffering from mental illness have been treated with indifference. We hope that out of this awful tragedy will come a new commitment by our elected officials to address the mental health crisis on our streets and subways.

Neely’s Troubled Past

Neely, 30, had been arrested a staggering 42 times over the past decade by the New York Police Department. The New York Daily News reported that Neely was most recently arrested in November 2021 on felony assault charges after being accused of “slugging a 67-year-old female stranger in the face.” The woman reportedly had serious injuries from the attack, and Neely was jailed for over a year.

Subduing a Threat

Witnesses said Neely embarked on an aggressive rant in the subway on Monday afternoon, moving erratically and allegedly screaming that he did not care if he went to jail. Freelance journalist Juan Alberto Vazquez and a report from The New York Post stated that Penny subdued Neely with the help of at least one other passenger. The New York City medical examiner confirmed on Wednesday that Neely died from a “chokehold” and ruled the incident a “homicide,” although criminal proceedings would be necessary to determine intent or culpability.

Manhattan prosecutors and detectives met to evaluate whether the case should be presented to a grand jury to determine if charges should be introduced, according to a report from The New York Daily News. One police source told the outlet that five passengers contacted 911 before and during the altercation. Callers reported that Neely was issuing threats, as well as “harassing people” and “attacking people,” and said that the Marine was restraining him until police officers could arrive. Another caller claimed that Neely had a “knife or gun,” although officers did not find any weapons on Neely, who first responders were unable to revive.

Let’s hope that this tragedy will bring attention to the mental health crisis and lead to positive change.

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Ben Zeisloft contributed to this report.

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