On Thursday, New York City law enforcement authorities gathered to discuss whether or not to press criminal charges against the Marine who shot and killed Jordan Neely, a homeless man with a lengthy criminal past who was said to have attacked passengers on a subway train. Neely had no where to live and a lengthy criminal history.
Independent journalist Juan Alberto Vazquez and The New York Post reported on Monday that Neely lost his cool on the train on Monday afternoon, acting erratically and shouting that he didn’t care if he went to jail. At least one other passenger and an unidentified former Marine attacked Neely. On Wednesday, the medical examiner for New York City announced that Neely had died from a “chokehold” and classified his death as a “homicide.” To determine fault or motive, however, criminal procedures would be required.
The Manhattan district attorney’s office and the police department reportedly met to discuss submitting the case to a grand jury for indictment. A police source informed the media outlet that five motorcyclists dialed 911 before, after, and during the brawl. People who phoned reported that Neely was threatening them and that he was “harassing” and “attacking” them. They also claimed a Marine had Neely in custody until the cops came. An further caller warned that Neely possessed a “knife or gun,” but officers located no weapons on him and were unable to revive him.
More than a dozen calls to 911 have been made about the same homeless man in New York City over the years. He suffered from schizophrenia and had previously reported hearing voices to authorities.
Between 2013 and 2021, Neely was arrested 42 times. Most of his charges were for minor offenses like jumping turnstiles, but two years ago he was caught trying to kidnap a 7-year-old girl and hitting a 67-year-old lady in the face as she exited a subway station. After the first incident, he pled guilty to felony assault but failed to complete his alternative to jail program. This caused him to miss his compliance court hearing in February. He was arrested for child endangerment again, and this time he pled guilty and received a four-month term.
New York and other major cities have taken measures in recent years to abolish cash bail and reduce penalties for serious offenses. Dangerous individuals have been let back into the streets.
The murder of Neely’s mother by her lover in 2007 reportedly triggered a downward spiral in Neely’s mental health, as reported by the New York Daily News. According to Andre Zachary, Neely’s father, the teen dropped out of high school and stopped taking his medication. Some believe he struggled to obtain consistent employment because of his autism.
The Marine who was questioned by police on Monday and subsequently released had served in the Marine Corps for four years and had advanced to the rank of sergeant, according to officials from the navy land force service branch who spoke to the outlet. His exemplary behavior, assistance to those in need, and contributions to national defense and the fight against terrorism earned him recognition and trophies.
Before that, he had been deployed to North Carolina’s Camp Lejeune. He had been a rifleman in the Mediterranean before that. Reporters from the news outlet were advised that he was now unavailable for interviews.
Many politicians have already taken sides; New York City’s Democratic mayor, Eric Adams, has remarked that Neely’s death highlights the necessity of providing medical care to the homeless who are also experiencing health problems. In addition, he stated that there was “a lot we don’t know about what happened here,” while Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) claimed that he was unable to “clearly condemn a public murder” because the victim was “too low” for some people to care about.