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Daniel Penny, 26, Faces 15 Years as Jurors View Subway Chokehold Video of Jordan Neely

Nov 4, 2024, 07:49 PM

Jurors in the trial of 26-year-old Marine veteran Daniel Penny, charged with second-degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide in the death of Jordan Neely, have been shown video footage of the fatal subway encounter that occurred in May 2023. The incident involved Penny placing Neely, a homeless man known for impersonating Michael Jackson, in a chokehold on a New York City subway after Neely was acting erratically and making threatening remarks. Witnesses testified that they felt threatened by Neely, with one passenger stating, 'I thought I was going to pass out' from fear. Another passenger was heard saying, 'If he lets go, we gotta run!' Footage presented in court showed other passengers urging Penny to release Neely, with one exclaiming, 'He's dying!' Body camera footage indicated that Neely still had a pulse after Penny released him. Both prosecutors and defense attorneys agree that Penny did not intend to kill Neely. The defense argues that Penny 'did for others what we would want someone to do for us' and was acting to protect himself and others, while the prosecution asserts that Penny's actions were reckless and resulted in Neely's death. If convicted, Penny faces up to 15 years in prison.