Reports state that Alvin Bragg, Manhattan District Attorney, will charge Daniel Penny with second-degree murder for neutralizing Jordan Neely during an erratic outburst. This comes after protests broke out in New York City when law enforcement initially declined to charge Penny.
As Breitbart News detailed:
A medical examiner in New York last week ruled that Jordan Neely’s death was a homicide. On Monday of this week, Neely allegedly threw trash at passengers and shouted about his financial misfortunes on the F Train at the east Houston Street Station. Neely was known to have mental problems and would often perform as a Michael Jackson imitation at the station. He had an arrest warrant out for him for a felony attack.
After Neely’s death, officers took Penny in for questioning but did not charge him and let him go free.
The day after Penny was released from law enforcement, there were protests in New York City, and many called for his arrest.
“This man must be prosecuted because, if you don’t prosecute him, you will, in my opinion, set a standard for vigilantism which we cannot tolerate,” said Rev. Al Sharpton. “The precedent is a danger to us all.”
The initial hesitation of law enforcement to charge Penny and the video that surfaced on social media led to protests in the subway station, where Neely was killed. Some protesters are reported to have climbed on the subway tracks, chanting “No justice, No peace” and “Abolish police.”
Some protesters compared Neely’s murder to the death of George Floyd, which led to nationwide protests across 2020.
The days of killing us and getting away without a trace are over. It’s going to happen if we have strap up, come out and start popping. “We’re tired of this,” a protester said on Friday.
They didn’t even learn from George Floyd. Another protester yelled, “They didn’t learn fucking.”
The New York Post reported that multiple protesters were arrested on Monday night for “disorderly behavior and obstructing government administration over sound amplification.”
The Post reported that Neely now faces charges of second-degree murder in a criminal case filed by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
The Post reported that Penny will turn himself in to the NYPD 5th Precinct on Friday in Manhattan.
Penny’s lawyers claimed that he did not intend to harm Neely when he made the statement.
His attorneys expressed their condolences on behalf of Daniel Penny to the people close to Mr. Neely. Daniel Penny, along with other passengers, took action to protect themselves when Mr. Neely started aggressively threatening Daniel Penny.
Daniel never intended to hurt Mr. Neely, and his lawyers added that he could not have predicted his untimely demise. We hope that this terrible tragedy will lead to a renewed commitment from our elected officials in addressing the mental health crisis on streets and subways.