Jury Selection Begins in Manslaughter Trial of Ex-Marine Daniel Penny Over Subway Chokehold Death

Oct 21, 2024, 10:00 AM

Jury selection began Monday, October 21, 2024, in the trial of Daniel Penny, a 24-year-old former U.S. Marine charged with manslaughter in the May 2023 choking death of Jordan Neely, a 30-year-old homeless man and former street performer, on a New York City subway train. Penny is accused of placing Neely in a chokehold after Neely was reportedly shouting and acting erratically on the F train in Manhattan. The incident, captured on bystander video, sparked widespread debate and divided America. Demonstrators gathered outside the Manhattan Criminal Court, chanting 'No justice, no peace,' and some accused Penny of white supremacy. Penny's defense team plans to argue that he acted to protect himself and other passengers, aiming to 'put jurors in that train car' and ask, 'what would you do?' If convicted, Penny could face up to 15 years in state prison. The trial is expected to last until around Christmas.