On Friday, 24-year-old Daniel Penny, a former Marine, is expected to turn himself in to face criminal charges in connection with an incident on a New York City subway train earlier this month that resulted in the death of Jordan Neely. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has decided to charge Penny with Manslaughter in the Second Degree, according to a report from NBC 4 New York.
The New York City medical examiner recently ruled Neely’s death a homicide, stating that he died from a “chokehold.” However, criminal proceedings are necessary to determine intent or culpability.
Penny’s attorneys issued a statement acknowledging the “tragic incident” on the subway that resulted in Neely’s death. Freelance journalist Juan Alberto Vazquez and a report from The New York Post indicate that Neely was behaving erratically and went on an aggressive rant on the subway on Monday afternoon, allegedly screaming that he didn’t care if he went to jail. Penny and at least one other passenger subdued Neely.
Neely had been arrested by the New York Police Department a total of 42 times over the past ten years. According to the New York Daily News, Neely’s most recent arrest was in November 2021 on felony assault charges after he was accused of assaulting a 67-year-old woman. The attack left the woman with significant injuries, and Neely spent over a year behind bars.